


Sands of Misery

by Oilux



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Ancient Egypt AU, Complete, Egypt AU, F/M, i satisfy my own fanfic cravings, pharaoh Bill, slave Mabel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2018-05-29 11:55:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 26,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6373747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oilux/pseuds/Oilux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was a slave, hand picked by the pharaoh himself. He was known for being cruel, and most of his slaves didn’t last more than a year under his care. Could she last long enough to win the tyrants heart? Ancient Egypt AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Apep

**Author's Note:**

> I should really finish what I start writing before I pick up something new...
> 
> Shout out to mabelpinesfeatwaddles on tumblr for coming up with the great title. 
> 
> Apep: The spirit of destruction, darkness, and evil.

The bright sun beat down on her skin, and made her sweat. Mabel was used to it, working every day in the fields and her hands gaining more and more callouses as she worked. Her brother was off in other part, carving stones as he was required to do. She wished she could spend her work with her brother, but she understood that things weren’t like when they were younger, and she had to do her own things.

  
She wiped sweat from across her brow, smearing a bit of dirt there from her hands. It was midday, the hottest part of the day, and even though years of work had made her used to it, but the sun still beat down on her. She wished she could go and take a break, but that wasn’t allowed.

  
The crack of the whip sounded before she felt the pain, and Mabel cried out as she felt it hit her back. She hadn’t even realized that she had been pausing in her work, but apparently her pause had been long enough.

  
Her work spilled from her bag, and she struggled with trembling hands to pick up the harvest before another crack of the whip sounded. Her hands were still shaking when one of the guards walked up to her, placing his sandaled foot over the last bit of food she was about to pick up.

  
“Such a pretty thing.” He cooed down, looking at her as she kept her eyes glued to the dirt. “You shouldn't be working out in the field like this, I have a much better place for you.”

  
She swallowed thickly, unable to even think about asking to say goodbye to her brother. It wouldn't be the first time that a slave had been taken from the fields to be a personal slave for a guard, and she wouldn't be the last. He wouldn't listen to her if she begged to be returned home.

  
“Please, I simply wish to finish my work here.” Mabel’s voice was barely louder than a whisper as he refused to move. Everyone around them was pretending like they didn't exist, as though ignoring it would make the problem disappear.

  
“Now, is that any way to talk to the man offering you so much?” He reached down, grabbing her hair and forcing her off of her knees. “Don't worry, I'm going to take great care of you.”

  
She had to use everything in her to not struggle and get away. It wasn't like she would get far, other guards were watching them. Mabel was never going to be able to say goodbye to her brother, or ever see him again. That was the real punishment he was inflicting on her.

  
“Sir, please, I only wish to finish my work here.” Mabel tried again, now on her feet and still managing to stare down at the ground. She whimpered when he sighed, knowing she had pushed him but at the same time knowing she wouldn't have any chance of getting free as long as she didn't try.

  
“Oh, hush. You'll love not having to work in the mud anymore and being bathed in silks.” He moved his hand from had hair, grasping her hands and pulling them together. The guard instantly bound them together, never fearing his eyes from her own.

  
“All bow before your pharaoh!”

  
Mabel was thankful for any distraction, even if that distraction came in a chariot. Their pharaoh, Bill Cipher, looked every inch the true descendant of royalty, with his blond hair and eyes the same color of the blue sky.

  
Though Mabel didn't know this, as she was instantly throw to the ground and on her knees. All she knew was that the chariot was gold, and what the stories told her.

  
“Don't say a word.” The guard hissed, and for a moment she was confused, until she remembered that guards weren't meant to take slaves home without explicit permission of the pharaoh.

  
She wouldn't have said anything anyways.

  
Everything was silent as the pharaoh’s chariot got closer, and actually stopped by their field. People hardly got word when the pharaoh came out, but it was always to chose a new personal slave. It was the only reason he left his life of luxury in the palace. For some reason he always insisted on hand picking his personal slaves. They never lasted more than a year under his care.

  
He didn't step down from the chariot, but his guards came forth, grabbing women. Apparently it was a woman's turn to serve him, as he switched from male to female every year. Mabel was completely silent, face almost pressed against the ground by how low she was bowing. She whimpered when she was grabbed, even though she was one of many young women in the lineup examined by the pharaoh.

  
Mabel kept her gaze lowered as women were dismissed from around her, and she was left with only one other woman to be compared next to. Mabel's gaze was glued to the ground, absolutely refusing to look up and risk death.

  
“That one.” The pharaoh spoke, voice rich like velvet. For a moment, neither woman knew who he was pointing at, but then the guards came up and pushed one woman back, and Mabel was pushed closer to the pharaoh. Her stomach dropped, and she was practically shaking with fright. 

  
Something traveled under her chin and forced her gaze up, and Mabel realized too late that it was the pharaoh himself using a riding crop to make her look up at him. She was nothing but skin and bones, completely covered in dirt, but he didn't seem to care, simply stating at her for a long moment. One guard came and tore her bag from her shoulder, and her hands clutched her stained dress now that she didn't have anything else to hold.

  
“Yes, you're perfect.” He was still staring at her. Mabel wanted to cry, but refused to let her tears fall. “You're not even crying. How splendid.”

  
His hand reached out, and Mabel willed herself not to flinch away as he touched her cheek, as though making sure she was real. She couldn't breathe, and everyone was still staring at them. The pharaoh eventually dropped his hand, and Mabel lowered her gaze back to the ground.

  
“Bring her to the palace.” The pharaoh ordered before his driver snapped the whip and he was gone. She watched him go, feeling a guard take her arm as though afraid she would try to run. Mabel had no intentions of doing such a thing, because she knew she wouldn't get far.

  
“Come along then.” The guard wasn't the same one as before, and he looked down at her with something akin to pity in his face. She guessed it was because her life had just been cut down from how many years she would have lived to just one. Even less than a year if she displeased the pharaoh too much.

  
Mabel was hoisted onto one of the chariots the guards used, still visibly shaking and wanting to cry when she realized she would never see her brother again. She tried to not let any of that show as they rode off, with the slaves going back to work as though she had never been there in the first place.

* * *

The palace was larger in up close than at the distance she always saw it at. She didn't get much of a chance to look at it before she was ushered inside and taken to a small room near the pharaoh’s that she was told would he her own. Mabel disliked it immediately, wishing she was with her brother once more. Maybe she could run away.

  
She didn't get a chance to plan before a woman was there, bathing her and making sure she was absolutely clean. Mabel was sure she had never been so clean in her life with how her skin was scrubbed raw. As her hair was washed again and again to make it silky smooth, her mind wandered to the pharaoh once more.

  
“Stupid girl.” The woman hissed, pulling back from Mabel and letting her dress in new clothes. They were nicer than anything she had ever seen before, or would have hoped to wear, but they were still slave garb.

  
Why her? Mabel didn't wish she was chosen. She wanted to be under the hot sun and with her people. She could only hope that someone would tell her brother that she was chosen, that she was okay and loved him. Mabel doubted anyone would tell him, but she still wished for it, and held on to that hope.

  
“You're the first one who hasn't cried.” The woman muttered as she brushed out Mabel's hair, which was long and silky now from all the washing. Mabel stared at herself in the mirror. It was so strange to see herself clean with no dirt staining her face. “Maybe he'll keep you longer.”

  
Mabel doubted it. She noticed how everything was gold though. The walls were gold, the clothes she was wearing, the jewels added to her hair. Mabel could almost believe that she was living in luxury. That maybe she would last longer than the other slaves. Yet he had done this to countless others before her.  
The woman ushered her out of her seat and towards the door, and then down the hall. Mabel hesitated by the large, ornately decorated door, the door leading to the pharaoh’s room. Mabel stared at the triangle in the middle of it, before raising her hand and slowly knocking on it.

  
There was no welcoming voice, as the doors slipped open with no noise. Mabel hesitantly slipped inside, looking around for the man she was meant to be answering too. It took her a moment to see him, but when she finally spotted him, she couldn't look away from the dark skin that clashed so perfectly with the marble he was laying against. The pharaoh slowly rose when she came in, gesturing her forward.

  
“There's my newest pet.” He cooed at her, and she stood just where he could touch her, but he seemed to just want to admire her. Mabel could feel his eyes traveling over her.

  
“I knew there was a gorgeous girl underneath all of that dirt.”  
He brought his hand underneath her chin, tilting her gaze up once more. He seemed surprised there were no tears on her face, but brushed it off so quickly that Mabel wondered if she imagined it. She didn't dare brush his hands away from her, but her body language revealed that she just wanted away from him.

  
“No tears either, you're doing so well.” He finally let go of her chin to just cup her cheeks, feeling her shake underneath him. “Now, just relax. Don't want me to get upset. Are you not happy with everything I've done for you so far?”

  
She knew the answer should be yes, that she was very happy with him and all the kindness he had shown. Mabel knew he could keep her chained in the basement and never see the real light of day again. Yet that didn't stop her from wanting nothing to do with him.

  
“Yes, I'm very happy, your highness.” Mabel whispered, as though loud noises would cause him to get angry with her. Mabel stared up at him, though her gaze was focused on his chin and not anywhere near his eyes.

  
“Good girl.” He mumbled, and she shuddered for a moment.

  
Mabel hesitantly shifted in place, biting her lip gently. The pharaoh’s fingers went to stop her from doing that, freeing her lips from being torn apart by her teeth. Everything about him seemed fake, a mask, and she didn't know what was real. She didn't want to ruin things when they were just getting started. She wanted that last year to live.

  
“Master.” Mabel whispered, and he looked delighted by the word. She hadn't spoken for a while, and her voice cracked from lack of use. “I know that I cannot leave you, and I don't want to, but I was wondering if I could send a message to my brother so he knows that I'm okay.”

  
She thought it was simple enough, and he seemed to believe her lie about wanting to stay. She hesitantly reached out, placing her own hand over one of the ones cupping her cheek.

  
Yet at her touch, his grip tightened, hard enough to be bruising and dig into her flesh. Mabel whimpered, but didn't try to pull away from his touch. Yet he seemed to pause, just staring down at her as she struggled with the instinct to pull away.

  
“Have I not done enough? You're trying to leave me already.” He clicked his tongue like he was disappointed in her. Mabel would have shook her head if he didn't have such a tight grip on it.

  
“No, Master, that's not what I meant.” Mabel started, quickly realizing she didn't want to give the pharaoh a direct line of access to her brother. “I'm sorry, it was a silly request. I don't know what I was thinking.”

  
He nodded, and she breathed a sigh of relief when he let go of her face. Mabel rubbed her cheeks to get rid of the pain in them, stretching in place as he moved further into the room.

  
“Come here, pet. Lay with me.”

  
He lounged on a bed that was softer than anything she had ever felt before, and Mabel hesitantly crawled into it and laid near him on the bed. She felt his arms travel around her waist, holding her in place. It wasn't as though she would have tried to get away.  
When his lips traveled along her jaw, she didn't pull away, and when day faded into dark she still didn't pull away, knowing that personal slaves must satisfy their masters in every way. Even if she didn't want to.


	2. Seth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seth: The God of chaos and change.

She woke as she always did, when the sun was rising just over the horizon. Normally she'd be getting up to make breakfast, to get her brother and uncles out of bed as well. They'd just have to find a way to do that on their own now that Mabel wasn't there anymore. She stared out of the window from the pharaoh's bedroom, looking out at the city just starting to wake. Well, the part of the city that did most of the labor. Slaves and the slave drivers were normally the only ones who woke up this early.

He was still sleeping, the pharaoh. Mabel eventually turned her gaze from the window to stare down at him, brushing some of his golden hair away from his brow. They hadn't done anything more than kiss, and she supposed it was because he didn't want to break her right away. Mabel watched silently as he shifted in his sleep, inching just a bit closer to her. He had seemed so starved for attention, and he had told her why. Apparently she was the only one allowed to touch him, and even that was in private.

“No one else is going to care about a slave touching the pharaoh.” He had whispered, simply content with exploring her skin and memorizing the feel of it against his hands. His own hands were soft, having not had a day of labor in his life, but her own were rough and calloused from working in the fields.

She had hardly spoken that night besides a whispered word or two, when he asked her if he made her uncomfortable. Mabel didn't know why it seemed important, but it did, and she gave him an honest answer.

“Yes.” Mabel whispered when he waited for an answer. When he arched a brow and waited for her to continue, she flushed with shame. “Only in the way that I don’t want to make you upset with me.”

He had actually laughed at that, and Mabel remembered blushing more. The pharaoh didn’t seem to mind, and bent down to kiss him again. His dark skin seemed to melt into the night itself, and Mabel had melted into his touches.

The morning light shined against his hair, and Mabel couldn’t bring herself to look away from him now that she was staring at him. He really was a gorgeous sight, and Mabel brushed her fingers over his high cheekbones, and then his slightly pointed nose. Her own button nose crinkled as she touched it, as though trying to compare.

He worried her, more than the guards worried her. Mabel knew what to expect from the guards, when they looked at her with a certain hunger in their eyes that she couldn’t ignore. Mabel had managed to avoid the guards most of her life, and the pharaoh’s arrival right then was a blessing and a curse. She didn’t know if she would rather have been taken by the guard or by the pharaoh.

Yet, this moment was kind, and he wasn’t trying to hurt her. He hadn’t tried to hurt her. Mabel had a feeling that she wouldn’t hurt her unless she did something to displease him. If she ever wanted to see her brother once more, she knew she could never let that happen.

He still had one arm wrapped around her waist, and Mabel took that as an excuse to not get up. She didn’t know if she was expected to get up, but she didn’t want to pull away when she might get in trouble for that. She took the chance, or at least what seemed like the lesser of two evils, and buried herself against his chest, as though his arms would be the ones to protect her and hadn’t caused so much destruction.

* * *

He woke in the late morning, when the sun was already starting to climb high and the people of his kingdom were already moving. Surprisingly, his newest slave was still in his arms, feigning sleep and obviously awake. He reached down, threading a hand through the silky locks before he yanked her head back and made her look at him.

She stared at him with wide, unblinking eyes as he made her look at him, and then he let go just as suddenly as he gripped her hair. Mabel sighed in relief.

“Pet, next time I expect you to get up and have breakfast waiting for me.” He spoke in the same soft tone that he spoke in last night, and while it had made her relax last night, now it just made her tense and want to get away from him.

“Yes, of course, I’m sorry.” She whispered. “I’ll get that for you right now, your highness.”

Mabel rolled and rushed out of bed, looking down at her bare feet as she raced from the room. The pharaoh didn’t try to stop her, rolling onto his back as the sunlight poured through the window and hearing the sounds of his kingdom already awake.

Mabel rushed from the room, wearing just the outfit she had been wearing since yesterday. It didn’t make that much of a difference to her, since she was just a slave, but some of the nicer people she passed in the halls looked down on her. Though that could have just been because she was a slave.

Entering the kitchen was like entering home, the hustle and bustle of her people roaming around her. She stuck to the sides of the kitchen so she wouldn’t get in the way of people who knew what they were doing. She didn’t know what she was meant to do here, but it wasn’t long before someone noticed the newest slave wearing the nicest garbs.

“You, girl!” The whole kitchen seemed to stop for a second as everyone glanced at Mabel. She looked over at the man who called her, noticing she was the only one with bare feet in the kitchen.

“You’re new, yeah? We’ve been wondering when you were coming down.” The man waved a short wooden spoon in her face, as though lecturing her. “What's your name.”

“Mabel.” She answered immediately, and before she could blink there was a tray pressed into her hands loaded down with food.

“Mabel, alright when you're all done bringing that up, come back down and get something for yourself.” The cook said, and Mabel nodded in relief before she turned on her heel and started back up to the pharaoh's room.

“You know that's mean. Pharaoh only lets them eat with permission and you know it.” The other cook said, and the head cook turned back to his original task.

“Nah, I think she's different. Comes down late but not a mark on her. That's new.” The cook started stirring the pot of soup he had been making. Luckily it hadn't burned while he was occupied.

* * *

The tray was easily balanced between her hip and her hand, letting her carry it easily up the countless stairs that were in the palace. The place seemed like a maze and she was always trying to figure out one hallway from another, even though they all looked the same. She ended up having to ask for help a couple of times, and finally a guard took enough pity on her to show her the way.

“Thank you!” She chirped to him when she was shown the door, and actually got a small smile in return. Mabel had never been given a smile from an Egyptian that was genuine and not laced with bad intentions.

The pharaoh was still laying in bed, lounging in the light of the day and the sounds of his kingdom. Mabel slowly walked in, wondering what her place was in the room. Was she to stay out of sight? Feed him? Mabel stood awkwardly, looking down at the pharaoh.

He was lying on his stomach, giving her a good sight of his unscathed back. She had only seen such a thing in children, even her own back was scarred. Yet he was unblemished, a small testament to the luxurious life he must have led. As though the palace didn't say that enough.

“Enjoying the view?” He seemed to snap, and Mabel flushed and took a step back. His whole body was relaxed as though enjoying her gaze, but his voice suggested differently.

“Sorry, I have just never seen an unmarked back like yours.” Mabel ended up whispering, as though excuses would do her good. He looked at her curiously, but then nodded to accept that answer.

“Did you bring breakfast, finally?” The pharaoh sat up, and Mabel nodded and brought the tray to show off. It was a wide variety of fruits and meats, which he had the option to chose from. Bill didn't even glance at them, but just stared at her.

“Are you hungry?” He had picked up what looked like an apple, rolling it between his hands. Mabel hesitated before she ended up nodding. She was a slave, she was always hungry.

He gestured her closer, and Mabel did so, and after a long moment of hesitation knelt at his feet like she had seen other personal slaves do. He waited a moment before he let her have a small amount of fruit, and started eating himself.

She could hear him eating, but focused herself on eating what had been given to her. It was about the same amount she would have been given during a week for working. Mabel had almost starved to death a couple of times in her life, but she had no arguments about that. Maybe for once she would actually gain something like a healthy weight.

“Pet.” He started, and that’s how she knew he was talking to her. She didn’t care about anything like that anymore, and he could call her anything and she wouldn’t care. “I expect you to be up and awake with breakfast when I rise. You will answer to no one except me, and no one will touch you except me. Do you have any questions?”

Mabel almost choked on the food she had been given as he talked, mostly out of surprise rather than fear. He was still talking, and at the end she shook her head to show she didn’t have any questions. Well, except for one, but not about the things he said.

“Your highness, I was wondering.” Mabel started, though she spoke cautiously. “If I could go and send a message to my brother that I’m okay. I don’t want anything else other than to let him know I’m okay.”

She didn’t want to say well taken care of, since she had no idea if that was true yet. He could still kill her, he could beat her within an inch of her life. She would have protested, but in the end no one really cares about a slave.

“No.” He said immediately, not even considering. Mabel’s face fell, but she hid it, going back to trying to eat silently.

Though he laced a hand through her hair, giving it a couple small pets as though she was an animal. Which to her, she supposed she was.

“Maybe if you behave, I might let you.”

Mabel smiled down in her food, offering a small thank you. One day, she would get to see him again, hopefully.


	3. Wadjet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wadjet - goddess of protection.
> 
> It's been a year don't judge me okay

It was a strange thing, to have people be frightened of her. Bill spent a lot of his time in meetings, with people Mabel didn’t care about or even want to know about, with her sitting at his feet as a prize. She knew she was there to show off, something pretty to be stared at as boring people talked about boring things. It didn’t matter that she was just a slave, she was a well trained slave that showed her Master knew just what he was doing, training her well.

“Pharaoh, the rest of the country is worried about its relations to…” Mabel stopped paying attention. The words droned on and on about nothing, countries she had never heard of. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought that they were making it all up, talking in code to evade the gossip of a slave. Yet Mabel didn’t talk to anyone anymore, and it held no worth to her.

“Leave it for them to decide, if it’s such a huge deal to them, they can come and see me themselves about it.” Bill waved a hand dismissively, Mabel’s gaze traveled up to follow it, but her eyes fell before he could meet her gaze. 

“I’m not sure that’s a great idea, your greatness, you see-”

“No, I do not see.” Bill cut him off. “I won’t hear any more of this. I am the morning and the evening star, if they won’t come and see me, then they’re not worth the time. Move on.”

The advisors flinched slightly at the tone, but Mabel only blinked. Glancing up, everyone avoided eye contact with the pharaoh. She glanced up at Bill, his golden eyes meeting her own for only a moment, his gaze holding something she couldn’t identify.

“You dare meet my gaze, slave?” He wasn’t loud, but his voice was dark, a cold thing that made a shudder go down her spine. 

“I’m sorry.” Mabel whispered. Everyone was staring at them, and Mabel barely realized she was still staring into his eyes. With a slight blush she stared down at the floor once more. 

“Your highness, it doesn’t matter, let’s discuss other matters, shall we?” Someone spoke up, taking Bill’s attention away for just long enough for Mabel to hang her head in shame and silently asked for forgiveness. He would punish her later.

“What is more important than what I’m doing now?” Bill sighed and leaned his head on his hand. “Still, get on with it.”

Bill’s hand traveled into her hair, surprisingly gentle as it led her to lean against his knee. He was always gentle when it was in these meetings, almost like believed that being rough would cause her to pull away. She leaned her head against his knee willingly, sighing at the warmth that radiated from his skin.

“We simply must discuss your pyramid. Many people are starting to talk about how you haven’t been issuing any proclamations for it’s construction. All the great pharaoh’s have had their own.” The man spoke carefully. Bill had already shown his distaste for the meeting, he didn’t want to make Bill anymore upset. “Your father stated-”

“I don’t wish to hear it.” Bill raised a hand. “This is something that I will think on and let you know. How are the slaves doing on the latest project, the newest temple of Ra?”

“Oh, very well sire.” Another man, Mabel almost laughed at how short and fat he was, spoke. “They’ve already started on the base and it should be finished soon. We have them working day and night.”

Mabel hated this part of the meeting. She hated hearing about her brethren and sisters being forced into such labor. None of these men had any idea of the tasks they had forced upon human beings, of the pain they caused so easily. She didn’t want to hear any more. Turning her head slightly, she buried her face against Bill’s knee, ever so gently leaning into the touches he offered.

Bill glanced down at her as she shifted, ready to tighten his grip and prevent her from pulling away, but all she did was get closer to him, seeming intent on burying herself closer. He could feel the warm breath of her against his shin, and the way her eyes squeezed shut.

“We will talk about it later.” Bill decided. Mabel’s shoulder’s slumped in relief, Bill pretended not to notice. “This meeting is over with. I have better things to be doing right now.” 

Everyone bowed, with the exception of Mabel who was still kneeling at Bill’s feet. He tugged gently at her hair to get her attention, but Mabel didn’t raise her gaze until every advisor left the room and they were alone.

“You’re the only one who dares to meet my gaze.” Bill murmured. Mabel rose to her feet when prompted, slightly chewing on her lip. Bill’s hands cupped her cheeks, preventing her from even doing that.

“I’m sorry, I forgot my place.” Looking down, she could see the difference in her skin color compared to his own. He was so dark, and Mabel had lost so much color being in the palace. The sun had once blessed her skin with a tan, she was quickly losing that color though.

“Some very important people are coming soon.” Bill was speaking but Mabel wasn’t listening, her thoughts now absorbed in the silk covering her skin. She would never wear anything finer than this, and it made her sad. She missed the harsh, scratchy cloth she had worn with her family. “You will be on your best behavior, do you understand me? I won’t let another transgression like that pass once more.”   
“Why did you let it happen just now?” Mabel asked before she could stop himself. Her gaze rose to meet his own, golden eyes trying to stare right into her soul. She had never met anyone with such golden eyes before, and wondered for only a second if he had them because he was pharaoh. 

“Don’t question me, slave.” Bill’s grip tightened on her until she whimpered, trying to pull away. “I’ve done so much for you, why are you still so ungrateful?”

“Oh yes, tearing me away from my family, refusing to let me tell any of them I’m okay, nothing more than a prize on the shelf, such a great life.” It was as though someone had broken the barrier of her tongue, and she couldn’t hold in her words. “You haven’t done anything for me.”

“I saved you from the labor outside, I saved you from the rest of your life being so worthless, is that not worth anything to you?” Bill roared, tossing her aside. Mabel landed with a painful cry on her side, hip and elbow aching from landing so hard. “Why are you so  _ ungrateful?” _

“There’s nothing to be grateful for!” Mabel shouted back. Some little voice in her head screamed that she was yelling at the  _ pharaoh,  _ she should stop right now, but the words were still coming. “You give my people so little in life, we are meant to work and work until our bodies give out and we’re sealed inside the walls of pyramids we build just for you, and in return all we are ever promised is that we can still live and love and have our families nearby, that we can still practice our faith and live whatever free time we have left in peace. And you took that away from me. I will never find love, I will never have my own family, and I won’t ever see what little family I have left.”

Her tears dripped onto the marble and hardly stained the floor. Guards burst in almost as soon as her words finished, hanging in the air thickly. They glanced between the pharaoh and his slave, not sure if they should get closer and possibly enact the wrath upon themselves.

“The rack, sire?” Someone spoke up, it was impossible to tell who. Mabel was hauled to her feet, but she refused to look down anymore, staring up into Bill’s eyes and meeting his gaze. If he was going to hurt her, he was going to look at her while he did it.

“Yes, I think that’s the perfect punishment for such a disobedient slave.” He nodded, and the hold on Mabel tightened. “Make sure to do it outside, for everyone to see.”

Not that they would care to see more marks added to a slave's back. When they attempted to drag her away, Mabel shook of their touch, walking proudly by herself, as though she was a free person.

* * *

The sun was setting over the horizon, falling over his father’s pyramids and making the shadows fall over the castle. That’s the way his father had designed his pyramid, so that the last light of the day would fall upon his dead body and not on his kingdom. Bill couldn’t remember the last time he saw the sunset, or anything outside his pyramid.

She still hadn’t come back. Bill sighed through his nose but refused to move from his place near the window. He should have given the guards more of a limit, he should have told them when to have her back. He should have just enacted her punishment himself. Instead, he was left with worry and nerves chewing at his insides, trying to tear him apart.

“I am not worried.” Bill muttered. He glanced back at the entrance of his room, waiting for the doors to open. She would be up any moment with dinner, and sit at his feet as he ate. He would have her sing for him tonight, she had a lovely voice.

Bill shook his head to clear himself of his thoughts. Arms crossed with determination, he looked outside at the stars that were forming, each one it’s one tale. One day he would be among those stars, staring down at his kingdom as it moved on without him. For now, he was only the evening star, chosen by the gods themselves.

Bill leaned his head against the edge of the window, glancing down below. Everyone below them was finishing their day, preparing to sleep and begin the process once more tomorrow. If he listened closely, Bill could hear the whispers of their words on the breeze, he could hear the stories told to children to put them to sleep.

“Guard.” Bill called when the night grew old, and Mabel still hadn’t returned to his side. He was simply wishing for her back, not actually concerned for her. “Where is my slave?”

The man rushed in, bowing lowly to the pharaoh. Bill didn’t glance at him. “She’s at the rack, sire.”

“Still? Is she still alive?” Concern leaked into his voice, and Bill cleared his throat to be rid of it. The guard nodded frantically, letting out a relieved sigh that he wouldn’t have to be the bearer of bad news. 

“We stopped at the usual, one hundred lashes, normally slaves are left overnight on the rack so everyone who tries to escape will see what could happen to them.” The guard spoke rapidly. “Is it your wish to have her be brought here?”

“Yes.” Bill snapped. The guard flinched. “Bring her here right now.”

He turned back to the window, and the guard rushed from the room before anything else could happen, lest the pharaoh lose his kind streak. Bill turned back to the window, looking down silently at the people below, but unable to make out nothing more than small bodies moving about. 

The door slammed open, and Bill turned to see Mabel dropped unceremoniously on the ground before the guards stepped out of the roo. Bill slowly walked forward, barely able to see her shallow breathing, and the blood still seeping from places on her back. She was as pale as the sands of the desert at night, lips standing out against her skin in an unhealthy pallor. With care, he knelt at her side, placing his hand on her cheek. She didn’t move, but her breathing did get a bit more labored, coming out in a wheeze.

“Have the servants run a warm bath for me.” Bill called. Someone was always there to hear, and soon he could hear the water being gathered. “And get me some water.”

One hundred lashes seemed excessive. Bill couldn’t understand why, he had seen such things before, he had given lashes himself to his past slaves when they disobeyed. He had never seen such aftermath as this though. He didn’t want to be rid of Mabel’s presence just yet.

“Come here, pet.” Even though she couldn’t hear him, he still spoke, lifting her up with ease and placing her into the bath. The water was a bit cold against his skin, and Mabel let out another small, pained gasp as he lowered her into it. 

Her eyes peeked open slightly, staring at him blindly, unable to focus on him. Bill ran a damp piece of cloth against her face, washing away dirt and dried tears. Mabel murmured something, but Bill couldn’t make it out, not that he was trying. He was too busy trying to get her to stop moving away from him.

“Stay.” His voice was soft, and her skin was hot, as though the sun was trying to emit its rays from her. She stared up at Bill with large brown eyes, not believing what she was seeing there.

Her mouth opened, but the only sound that came out of her mouth was a small groan, as Bill dragged the damp rag up and down the marks on her back. They were deeper than they should be, deeper than he was used to seeing.

She leaned against his touch, her skin burning hotter with every passing minute. When she was all cleaned up, he ordered servants to bandage her back and place her on his bed. He quickly had more servants change him out of his wet clothes, and waited for them to bring Mabel in.

They placed her down carefully, Mabel’s hands shaking slightly as she instinctively curled up as small as she could, with her back injured. Bill gently stroked her hair, bringing a blanket over her shoulders to help her gain more rest.

“You’re more trouble than I thought you’d be.” Bill murmured. She leaned into his touch, eyes opening to slits. Bill met her gaze easily, but as quickly as she met his gaze, she looked down.

“Pet.” No response. Bill let out an irritated sigh. “Mabel.” She glanced up this time. “You can look at me. Be the only one who looks at me without fear.”

She swallowed thickly, Bill could hear her throat click. When she opened her mouth to speak, Bill leaned down, pressing his lips against her own and silencing her with a kiss. When he pulled back from her heated lips, she was staring at him with confusion, and unfortunately a little fear.

“Sleep, Mabel, or by the power of Ra I will make sure you do.” Bill murmured. She didn’t seem to hear him. “Sleep.”

Whether or not she was really listening to him or not didn’t matter, she moved slightly closer to him and closed her eyes, falling asleep with a sigh. Bill relished in the feeling of a warm, welcoming body next to him, and for the first time wondered just how welcome he truly was at Mabel’s side.


	4. Isis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isis- Goddess of magic, marriage, healing, and protection
> 
> This was a fun chapter to write! Shout out to my great friend Jenna, who apparently really really likes this fic.

Her back was tight, it hurt to even breathe, and Mabel regretted the first breath she took as she woke. It didn’t hurt as badly as her first whipping on the rack, but it was close. Never before had she been subjected to one hundred lashes, and she hoped she never would again. 

With a pained filled gasp, she braced her hands on the bed and attempted to rise, only to have her arms give out on her. Her breath came out in shuddering gasps, tears prickling at her eyes as she tried to regain her breath. Something heavy slinked over her waist, close to touching the burning marks on her back. 

“Stay.” The murmured words were close to her ear, and a moment later lips brushed against the shell of her ear. It would have sent a shudder down her spine, if her back hadn’t been cramping. 

“M-Master.” Her voice cracked slightly, needing water. It still hurt from her screaming. His grip tightened, and she whimpered when his forearm brushed against her wounds. Were they bandaged?

“Stay in bed, it’s too early.” He murmured, eyes sliding shut as though he was going back to sleep. He was tense though, and the sun was just starting to rise behind him, over the pyramid of his father. It was the time she normally rose, why wasn’t she meant to get out of bed?

“It hurts.” She whimpered instead of speaking her thoughts. Carefully, his eyes opened once more, but there was no irritation, or malice. Just understanding, and something else she couldn’t identify. 

“I know.” He murmured back. Cautiously, as though Mabel would truly have the strength to pull back, he pressed his lips against her forehead. He was surprisingly cold against her skin, so unlike his normal warm temperature. “Go to sleep, pet.”

Her eyes slid shut of her own accord, and her soft breathing evened out as she fell back into sleep. It had been too long since she had been allowed to sleep past sunrise, and even with the constant stress of being the pharaoh’s servant, her body craved rest more than anything.

He stared at her, eyes only open halfway, watching the sweat beading on her forehead. Ra seemed to be blessing her with the heat of the sun itself, but Bill knew this wasn't normal. She was burning hot even to him, and her body wasn't meant to handle it. She wasn't a direct line of the gods like he was, she hadn't been blessed with royal blood. 

“Take pity, my gods, let her live, and I will make sure no one ever forgets you. I will build as many temples, I will go out myself and spread the word of what you do.” Bill whispered it into Mabel's hair, bringing himself closer to her. She shuddered slightly in his grasp, before settling down. 

“Don't leave me yet, Mabel, Ammit is not yet ready to devour your soul.”

As though she would ever be so tarnished, as if her soul would would outweigh the feather of Ma’at, and cause so much grief. If Bill had anything to say about it, she wouldn't leave him just yet.

* * *

Three days of rest. She had been given three days of rest, more than any slave had ever been given before. Three days of watching the sun rise, of the pharaoh keeping his arm around her, keeping her in his bed, beside him. After three days when her back still ached, and burned with movement, her hot skin had finally cooled down and she could breathe freely again. 

He didn't say anything to her. At night, he would look over her shoulder as the healer did his best to cover her wounds, but he was never careful. Mabel only hissed in pain a couple times, when the man had been too rough, and the pharaoh was always right there to make sure she wasn't harmed further. 

“If you can't heal a meager slave, how can I expect you to heal me if I am injured?” Bill asked, that slight smirk on his face that Mabel was starting to recognize. The healer scowled, stuttering over his words of apologies. He was gentler after that. 

It was still strange, being healed, being taken care of. Every night the pharaoh would look at her, and run his hands across her skin. Her body temperature seemed warmer to him now, and he wasn't sure he liked it. All the other slaves he had touched felt cold to him, but Mabel was warm now. She must still have the blessings of Ra on her skin.

“Stop.” Mabel hissed when the healer pressed something against her wounds. Instinctively she reached out, hands searching for some kind of purchase, and found herself wrapping her arms around Bill’s waist. The healer froze, and so did Mabel, she wasn’t meant to initiate touch, the pharaoh was, but all Bill did was lay his arm around her, almost lazily. 

“Stop then.” Bill’s icy stare cut into the healer. “What are you even putting on her?”

“It’s a simple salve, the same kind we would use on you, my pharaoh.” The healer showed the pharaoh, whose face pinched at the  scent coming from the paste. Mabel tightened her grip around Bill, hiding her face against his chest.

“Leave her be, you’ve done enough.” Bill batted the hands away of the healer, but didn’t let skin touch. “Dismissed.”

“My pharaoh-”

“ _ Dismissed.” _

Complete silence, only broken by Mabel’s slight ragged breathing. She felt as though she had run a mile, and yet she hadn’t left the bed. She felt the bed move as the healer rose, leaving the room silently. Bill’s arms fell over her shoulders, draping there in a loose, but protective way. Mabel felt safe. It reminded her of when her brother would hold her at night, trying to keep some kind of warmth between them. 

“Come here, my sun kissed slave.” His voice had a slight admiration to it, something she couldn’t place. Mabel pressed herself closer, refusing to glimpse light, only the darkness and warmth that greeted her when she closed her eyes.

“You’re my favorite.” He pressed a soft kiss against her hair, leaving the slight imprint in her hair. She didn’t say anything, but her heart bloomed slightly at the words. It felt as warm as the sun outside.

* * *

Once more she was at his feet, her head resting against his knee as he ran his fingers through her hair. Mabel sighed contently, letting her eyes slide shut as she listened to the meeting. There was nothing better for her to do, and no one cared what they said in the presence of a slave. 

“Sire, I heard something today…it was most disturbing.” A man spoke up, and Mabel stole a glance at him through her eyelashes. He was round, with cheeks filled with fat. Mabel had never seen people who carried so much weight until she was by the pharaoh's side, and saw his advisors. 

“What? A rebellion? Another war?” Bill sounded bored, Mabel didn't blame him. There was always something new that required his attention. 

“No, it seems ridiculous now that I bring it up. A couple guards heard whispering among the slaves, heard them talking. It took almost an hour to find out what they were trying to hide, they guarded it with their very lives. Though it must be important to them.” He looked as though he regretted speaking on the topic, with the way Bill was staring impassively at him. Mabel was tense against him, and that didn’t escape his notice.

“What’s so important about it then?” Bill asked, sparing a single glance down at Mabel. She was rigid against him, as stiff as stone.

“A savior.” A hush fell over the room. “They said that their God appeared before them and declared a savior would be born to rescue them from slavery.”

No one spoke. Mabel hung her head, but her hands were clenched into fists, her shoulders shaking. It was easy to tell that she was upset, but not a sound escaped her. Bill glanced down at her, then at the men all awaiting their reaction. 

He didn't care. His Gods would not let him fall to the measly words of the God of slaves. Yet everyone expected him to do something about it. Bill didn't see the point in taking away the hope of the slaves, but he enjoyed the thought of crushing their spirits. 

“Their God is nothing. It will not matter, my kingdom will not fall to something so pitiful as the imagined savior.” Mabel's shoulders slumped in relief. “But still, talk like this will not be tolerated. I want every newborn male slave brought to me.”

“Your highness-”

“Why in the world-”

“Male?”

Bill raised a hand, and the room plunged into silence. 

“I want every firstborn slave male slaughtered.” 

Mabel gasped, but it was covered by the whispers of men throughout the room. The order was a surprise, but what was the benefit? Now they would never have slaves trying to rise against them. Mabel could see the future of her people planned out for the next millennium, with only a few choice words. The families that would face hardships, her brother and great uncle Ford lying in a mass grave with countless others. 

Everyone was talking amongst themselves, and Mabel took the chance to look up. Bill stared down at her, with that smirk on his face Mabel thought was so face, his eyes cold. She realized two things in that one second. 

One, that Bill knew exactly what he was doing and how it would affect others. She saw no remorse in his eyes. And two, that she might be the only one who could stop him, or at least the only one brave enough to speak up. 

“Please, don't.” 

Her words were a whisper, not heard by the other members of the pharaoh’s council. Bill arched a brow, tugging her up to sit in his lap. Mabel did so without complaint, not once breaking her gaze from his. 

“And why shouldn't I?” Bill’s nails were sharp as the dug into her hips. Mabel refused to let a noise escape her. 

“You know what it'll do, you already hurt everyone so much.” His nails pricked against her skin, red drops of blood beading there. “It'll make them hurt more, it'll make them hate and rebel.”

“Good, I'll wipe their entire existence off the planet and make their children watch, and they will know not to rise against me and speak of saviors.” Bill snarled. One by one around them, the advisors were realizing that Bill and Mabel were talking. No one spoke to interrupt. 

“It must be hard, being so insecure over a rumor of a savior.” Mabel fought back tears. She would not cry. “Worried slaves might rise and take away your throne. A weak empire brought down by weaker slaves.”

The blood continued to flow from where he dug his nails into her thighs, slickening the pads of his fingers. Mabel shuddered at the feeling.

“You will not rile me up, slave.” He hissed in her ear. “But you have given me a much better idea.”

With barely any effort, he pushed her off of him, causing her to land on the floor with a pained cry. Her back wasn’t healed yet, and falling onto hard marble wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. Mabel didn’t try to get up, but she did raise her arms in defense, curling up on the floor.

“My loyal followers, my most devoted slave has informed me that she does in fact know who the savior is, and that he is already born.” Bill guffawed, a rumbling sound from his chest. “And she has so graciously offered to bring him here to me, to sacrifice him in the name of her people.”

Everything was still. No one dared to breathe while the pharaoh stood. He walked over Mabel, ignoring the flinch he elicited from her. His men instantly surrounded him, asking questions about the savior that Mabel was meant to know.

“Prepare the chariot, we will go into the city so she can pick out this slave from the ranks.” Bill smirked down at her, but it became almost sad when he saw the glare she gave him. “Rise, slave. Don’t you want people to see the favors I have granted you?”

Mabel pushed herself up, arms shaking against the cold tile as her back screamed against the movement. She wasn’t nearly strong enough to walk all the way to the slave barracks to chose someone to die. Mabel pressed her lips together, refusing to speak once more. It would only bring more pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want to stay updated on this story? Ask questions about this AU? Click [here](http://oilux.tumblr.com/) to stay tuned and get live updates!


	5. Chosen One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No update last week because of reasons.

Her bare feet burned on the ground. Already, they had grown used to the marble of the palace, spoiled by riches that weren’t even her own. The other slaves out in the fields stared at her like she was a plague, no longer one of them, but not good enough to be among the Egyptians.

Bill was on his chariot, going slow enough that Mabel could keep up with him. He had never been seen out so frequently as he had lately, two trips in just under a luck. Mabel stumbled for a moment, feet tripping over a rock and causing blood to well up from a cut there.

“Be careful, pet.” Bill called back, hardly glancing over his shoulder at her. Mabel only nodded, focusing down back at her feet as she refused to look up and meet the stares. She hated the stares of the people she could have once called friends. Yet now it was like she was intruding.

“Pet.” She flinched at the name he called her. In private it was tolerable, but out in public it simply felt degrading. The chariot had stopped, so she walked up closely to it, but didn’t touch it.

“Have you seen the savior of your people yet?” She grit her teeth to avoid snapping at his teasing tone. “You did promise me someone.”

“Yes, Master, I know. I’m sure we’ll come across them soon.” Mabel murmured. “May we continue on?”

Bill’s lips pursed for a moment and they carried on, the wheels of the chariot bumped as it went over rocks, and Mabel glanced up occasionally. They were nearing a place she knew better than she knew the back of her hand. 

She licked her lips as she looked around more frantically. There was the well she would get water from in the mornings, there was the corner where she and Dipper used to play at as kids, and Mabel felt her breath hitch in her chest as she looked upon the house she had grown up in. 

“Mabel?”

She had hoped, and prayed, for this moment, and God seemed to be smiling cruelly down on her as he answered her prayers. Bill turned to stare at her, the corner of his mouth twitching as his neutral face turned into a cruel smirk.

“Mabel!”

This wasn’t fair. Mabel had a second to look at Bill with pleading eyes before something hard tackled her, sending her sprawling into the dirt as sobs tried to force their way out of her throat. Dipper shook as he held his twin sister, murmuring words of apologies.

“We thought...thought you were dead. No one would tell us what happened!” His arms were wrapped tightly around her shoulders. “I’m so sorry.”

Mabel ran her hand up and down his back soothingly, trying to stifle the sobs. He didn’t know who he was standing near, otherwise he wouldn’t let out a sound of weakness, he never had before. Mabel glanced up at Bill through her lashes, no longer seeing the smirk but a small frown instead.

“Dipper, please, go back to the Shack.” Mabel whispered. Dipper sniffled wiping away tears with the back of his hand. “Dipper, please.”

“You’re back.” Dipper looked at her, finally looked at her, seeing the silken clothes and the bandages on her back, barely peeking out over the edges of her clothes. She glanced up at the pharaoh, and Dipper followed her gaze cautiously.

“It seems she’s made her decision, guards, get him ready.” Bill said, flapping a hand at the guards. They pulled the swords from their belt, and Mabel felt her heart leap into her throat.

“No! No, please, please Dipper, run back to the Shack, tell them I’m okay, but you have to go now!” Mabel pushed her brother away from her, sending him sprawling to the dirt as she looked at Bill, meeting his gaze head on. 

“It’s me.” Mabel breathed out. His eyes widened slightly in shock, but he stared at her firmly. “I’m the one the prophecy talks about, the one who will save my people from your reign.”

Everything froze. It was like Bill had put a pause on time itself, and with his relation to the Gods she wouldn’t think twice if he could do that. The guards sword hung heavily in the air, paused in its downward slope to her brother, Bill’s eyes still narrowed, the other people around them staring in shock. 

“You wanted me to choose someone.”

Mabel’s whisper carried over the crowd, as Bill stepped down from his chariot and stood in front of her. Without resistance from her, he pushed her into the dirt, where she stared up at him with fear in her eyes. He stared down at her, callously cruel.

“That’s just what I was hoping you were going to say.”

* * *

She had never seen so many people. And they were all staring at her, some with pity on their faces, some with sneers, but the ones that stood out most were that of her uncles and brother, staring at her from the front of the crowd. 

Bill was just as he always was, strong and powerful and what she expected. Mabel took a deep, steadying breath, not even sure what this could mean right now. Was she on stage for her death? A public humiliation? She never felt like she could be a step ahead of the pharaoh. 

“It has come to my attention, that there is a prophecy of a savior coming to save the slaves from their bondage.” Bill stood behind her, and Mabel didn’t glance back at him. “Let me put that to rest right now. You. Will. Never. Be. Free.”

The sharp blade of a knife was pressed against her throat. Mabe’s head instinctively tipped back to avoid the sharp edge, but someone held her head in place, and she almost whimpered.

“It didn’t take long for me to find your savior, and here she is! See how she bows so prettily for me?” Mabel squeezed her eyes shut, but the knife bit into her skin, drawing blood. She obeyed the silent order to open her eyes once more. “I want you all to see what happens to your savior, what will happen if anyone ever thinks of rising against what they’ve always known.”

He dragged the knife across her throat, not hard enough to spill her blood on the ground, but hard enough to make her wince in pain. She could feel blood run down her chest, staining the silk she still wore. 

“Watch.”

Her eyes had closed again, but they peeled open once more. Mabel looked out at the crowd, who were all staring up at them with disgust in their eyes. Bill leaned close, his lips barely brushing against her ear.

“I will make sure that no one ever wants you. Your people won’t look at you, everyone else will hate you.” He murmured. “Don’t tell me you really thought you could escape me, even in death?”

“Please,” Mabel murmured, “Please stop this.”

The knife, still decorated with her blood, wasn’t pressed against her throat, Bill’s deft fingers tossing it into the crowd where it struck a random citizen. The man it hit fell to his knees with a gasp, pained wheezes growing louder as he passed into the afterlife. Mabel hoped his soul would be lighter than the feather it would be weighed against.

“Thank you all for coming!” Bill’s smile was too cold, too malicious, to be real. “It’s been a pleasure.”

* * *

The tears wouldn’t stop coming. Mabel didn’t fight them, letting them roll down her cheeks as she sat on Bill’s bed, the pharaoh not five feet away, angrily pacing in front of her. Her eyes had long since stopped following him, looking down at the ground where his feet would sometimes cross in her vision.

“What even was that? What, you thought it’d be funny? You thought it’d be grand?” Bill groaned, almost growled. “You’re such an idiot! You thought that this would be okay?”

She didn’t reply, she hadn’t been replying. Mabel moved to stare down at her knees, her dress still stained with dirt, drops of blood decorating it. When she moved her head too quickly, the wound on her neck reopened and made her wince in pain.

“Stop crying! That’s all you’ve been doing, crying.” Bill grabbed her cheeks, forcing her to stare up at him. “I should have killed you out there.”

“I wish you had,” Mabel whispered. “I wish you had killed me, I wish you were anything but what people talked about, I wish there was an ounce of kindness in you. You’re so cruel.”

He dropped her face like it was fire itself, taking a step back from her. Mabel’s eyes filled with tears that she didn’t brush away as Bill stormed into the other room, cursing up a storm as he went. All she could think of was how it wasn’t a mystery that slaves never lasted more than a year with him, when they had to deal with someone so cruel.

When he came back, he grabbed her roughly, ignoring the gasp of pain that came from her lips as she stood. Bill ushered her into the other room, getting a wet piece of cloth and cleaning the blood from her neck. He ignored the whimpers of pain coming from her, until her neck was clean of blood, and the tears were falling down her cheeks once more.

“What do I have to do to make you stop crying?” Bill asked, close enough to her face that Mabel could feel his breath ghosting across her face. “Anything to make you stop crying for just a minute.”

“I want to be free.” Mabel’s hands desperately grasped at the front of his clothing, trying to tug him closer. “Please, send me out into the desert, let me have a chance at being alive for a day. I don’t want to be here anymore.”

Instead of pushing her away like she expected, Bill dropped the washcloth and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against his chest. Instead of making her feel better, the embrace only brought more tears, until she was sobbing, her whole body shaking with the force of it.

“Oh, my sweet, sun kissed slave, I’m never letting you go.” Bill ran a hand through her tangled brown hair, ignoring when she winced as his hand caught on a knot. “You’re always going to be mine, until the day you die. I can give you a little bit of what you want though.” 

Mabel almost shook her head that she didn’t want anything but what she asked for. Bill pulled back, releasing her from his grip, his hands going to cup her wet cheeks. His thumbs brushed away the tears that still spilled, and Mabel found herself leaning into the touches despite her own reservations. She needed the contact.

“Tomorrow, you can go and spend the whole day with that little family you’re so fond of.” Bill murmured. “As long as you promise to come back.”

Mabel hesitated. It had to be a trick, didn’t it? It had to be a trick, she would step outside the walls of the palace and immediately cut down just for leaving his side. Bill was staring down at her, waiting for a reply, but Mabel felt like she couldn’t speak.

“You promise? One whole day where I can be with them?” Her voice cracked and she wasn’t even ashamed of it. Bill’s lips dropped down in a slight frown, but Mabel continued to stare up at him.

“One day. That’s all you get.” Bill eventually sighed. “Just promise to come back.”

“I promise.”

Even she knew that if she didn’t come back, Bill would find her. How could she expect to be free, when he would never let her go? Bill pressed a soft kiss against her forehead, and Mabel let her eyes drift shut. If Bill didn’t kill her, someone else would. It was just the ways of slaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want to stay updated on this story? Ask questions about this AU? Click [here](http://oilux.tumblr.com/) to stay tuned and get live updates!


	6. Arguments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to the amazing obligatorychinchillas because they did some [amazing art of this fic. Guys, please check it out!](http://obligatorychinchillas.tumblr.com/post/159145126444/so-like-im-really-excited-bc-oilux-s-fic-sands)

“You may leave when first light comes, as long as you return by the time the sun sets over the pyramid.”

Mabel didn’t sleep that night, lying next to Bill with fresh clothes on as he snored away. It was like he wasn’t bothered by what he had done, the life he had taken. Though, according to other slaves, the past couple ones he had perished under his care.  She didn’t want to ask him about those though, almost afraid that it would make him remember that she could be killed so easily.

When the first ray of light appeared outside, Mabel slipped out from the bedroom, her bare feet silent against the ground. Glancing back only once, Mabel made sure Bill was still sleep as she left his side. 

Amazingly, her anxiety didn’t ease as she left the palace. It only seemed to grow. Her outward appearance made it quite clear she was a slave, but after yesterday’s display, no one dared come near her. Few people dared to glance at her, sending her quick looks as she made her way to the slave barracks. It was only when she was close to her home, her family waiting for her, that something stopped her.

It was crying. Mabel turned her head slowly, seeing a small family quietly crying to themselves as they prepared for the ceremony of the afterlife. They were Egyptian, and while they could have been mourning anyone, Mabel had a feeling in her heart that they were truly mourning the poor soul that passed yesterday because of her decision. She hoped for his sake, that his soul was lighter than the feather of Ammit.

She kept her head down as she walked. Mabel wanted so badly to go over and say how sorry she was, but that wasn’t the time or the place. It wasn’t her right to intrude upon their mourning to ease the guilt in her own soul.

With a heavy sigh, she pushed open the worn door and walked back into her home. Mabel breathed in the scent of spices and home, something she had missed more than she ever thought. Her heart ached that this would only be for one day, one day of laughter and company she missed so much.

“Grunkle Stan, you’re supposed to be making breakfast, not spilling it on the floor.” Dipper laughed. Mabel hesitantly walked from the front room to the kitchen, not a long journey at all, but her small steps made it seem like eternity.

“Shut up and eat your breakfast. Got another long day out there.” Mabel slowly peeked her head around the corner, the familiar sight making her heart warm.

Dipper and Stanford sat at the table, papyrus spread around them. They were so used and worn with charcoal that it wasn’t legible anymore. Stan was cooking something, she couldn’t make out exactly what, but it smelled amazing. Ford was still teaching Dipper how to read and write, while Mabel had never picked up the habit.

“I hope you guys won’t mind a day off.” Mabel laughed, finally,  _ finally,  _ feeling like herself again. Everyone turned to her, their gazes excited and hopeful.

Dipper almost tackled her to the ground when he saw his sister there, and Mabel laughed in excitement. They had no real flooring, and she didn’t even care as the silk of her gown was ruined by the dirt. Stan and Ford were there in another moment, joining the pile to make a large hug, full of happiness and warmth with Mabel right in the middle. 

“I missed you guys so much.” Mabel whispered. Being with Bill had its perks, but it was emotionally draining. She missed working out in the fields where she could ignore everyone else, and focus on one task at a time.

“I thought you were going to die.” Dipper mumbled. Stan and Ford pulled back, but no one moved to get off the floor. “And then he killed someone else…”

“Don’t remind me.” Mabel shuddered. “He said I could stay until the sun sets, but I think I have to be at his side when the sun sets. I don’t want to take any risks.”

They all nodded in agreement. The recent performance of the pharaoh was enough for people to start making the realization that Bill might be just insane, and not really a good leader. He was an intimidating sight when in his rage, with gold and jewels and the eye in the center of his forehead.

“What’s he like? Does he treat you well?” Stanley asked. He rose, cracking his back. It was slouched from having to work in the fields just like she did. There were scars littering his back, as with all of them.

Ford reached down and offered each of them a six fingered hand to raise. Mabel took it easily, relishing in the familiarity of the strange. She nodded awkwardly at Stanley, trying to answer his question honestly.

“As well as to be expected.” Mabel eventually answered. Her family glanced at her, but none of them seemed willing to ask for details.

“Are you safe?” Dipper asked, leading Mabel over to their small table. Her fingers automatically brushed over the marks on the table where she and Dipper had carved small symbols into the wood. 

“I am.” She murmured. “I am.” She repeated, stronger than the last time.

They glanced between each other, worry lacing the lines of the older men, and showing in the way Dipper’s brow was furrowed. Mabel silently sighed, trying to think of how to explain it to them.

“He’s cruel, and mean, and there’s something not quite right about him.” Her fingers scratched deeper lines into the carvings of the wood. “He won’t kill me, if that’s what you’re worried about. I do think there’s something there though.”

Dipper reached forward, taking her hand in his own and stopping her from breaking her nails against the wood. Mabel sighed heavily, looking at him and seeing the unasked question in his chocolate eyes.

“I don’t know, maybe I’m just being silly. I just think...I think he’s lonely.” Mabel confessed, cheeks heating with shame. “He said no one can touch him but me, and no one ever talks back to him. He was going to kill every firstborn male slave until I talked him out of it. I don’t know, I just like to think there’s something more there.”

Dipper pulled back his hand from her, a frown on his face. Just hearing herself, it sounded bad. Who would believe that there was something kind? The wound on her neck was just barely starting to heal over as it was. 

“What’s the palace like?” Stan asked instead, breaking the silence easily. Mabel gave him a grateful smile, instantly telling them about the gold decorations in the palace, and what she did on a normal day.

“He has good tastes, I’ll give him that, but there’s just so much  _ gold.  _ It’s no wonder he wants to build a temple to Ra, the sun is just everything.” Mabel waved a hand dismissively, her smile wide. “I just never thought someone could have so much gold!”

“What’s wrong with gold?”

Their entire family froze, Mabel turning slowly to the entrance of the shack. Bill stood there, arms crossed over his chest as he examined the house with clear disgust. Mabel rose, walking over to him, her face already alight with disappointment.

“It’s nice, just maybe not so much of it.” Mabel said softly. “What’re you doing here?”

Bill picked up a blanket that Mabel had once made, barely holding it with his index finger and thumb before he dropped it back to where it was resting. Their house was a small one, only one other room, and Mabel realized Dipper must have been sleeping there with her blanket.

“You were gone when I woke up, pet.” She flinched at the nickname, and Bill arched a brow questioningly at her reaction. “I wanted to keep an eye on you.”

“You promised me a day.” She led him over to where she had been sitting. 

“I never said I wouldn’t be going with you. You’re lucky none of the guards stopped you. They’re less than forgiving.” Bill mused, glancing at the other family members. “Well, well, well, this sure is boring.”

“The guards won’t do anything to me because everyone knows I’m  _ yours.”  _ Mabel scoffed, grabbing his hands. “What do you expect us to do? We work all day and night building your temples. There’s nothing for us to do.”

“Well, I would think you would do something for fun.” Bill complained. Mabel put her hands on her hips. 

“If you simply came here to complain, then you should leave.” Mabel rubbed her forehead. “You can’t even allow me this?”

Bill smirked up at her, then laughed, a loud sound that filled their shack. Mabel felt anger rise in her chest, making her cheeks flush pink. Reaching forward, she grabbed his hand, no longer caring what happened to herself. At this point, she knew Bill wouldn’t kill her. Embarrass her? Yes. Hurt her? Yes. Kill her? No.

“You want to see what your slaves do for fun?” Mabel yanked him forward, Bill’s eyes widening with surprise as he almost stumbled. Even the eye on his forehead seemed to widen comically at her actions. Her family stared at her in shock, but none moved to stop her.

“Pet-”

“Do  _ not  _ call me that.” Mabel snapped. With more sharp tugs of his hand, she led him to one of the lesser known spots the slaves liked to spend time in. 

Hidden from view of the guards, was a small building that was just a tad bit higher than the rest of them. Mabel pulled Bill up to stand next to her at the top, giving them a good view of the crushed together buildings of the slave barracks and the fields where everyone worked endlessly. Bill shuffled next to her, entwining their fingers together as he looked regally down upon everyone. His feet were scuffed with dirt, just like her own.

“What do you see? A kingdom built around you?” Mabel waved her hand around, a sweeping gesture that made her feel larger than she was. “You know what I see? I see crushed people who work endlessly for just enough to keep living. I see scared backs and death.”

Dipper had always been one for speeches, but it wouldn’t hurt to try, wouldn’t it? Bill’s brows were furrowed, staring down at the people. A guard shouted at a slave not to far away, and Bill’s eyes snapped over as a man fell over, dead.

“What free time do we have? What do we get? We have nothing! We work on temples we won’t ever step inside of, we die walled up in tombs that were only meant for your family.” Mabel sighed, feeling anger drain out of her. “Sad thing is, I still hope most of all that when you die, be it a rebellion by abused people or it was simply your time, I hope that whatever you believe, happens to you! I hope that your soul weighs light, and you don’t get fed to Ma’at, but we both know that won’t be, will it?”

“I never once lied, not to you or to anyone.” Fiery rage settled in those golden eyes, but unlike when he first chose her, it didn’t make her cower in fear. It made her stand taller. “I do not lie.”

“No, you never lie, but the weight of your sins will bring you down. You would so carelessly destroy a generation of people to keep your power. Is it fun, being so cruel and getting everything you want now, because your afterlife will be terrible?” Mabel laughed, but it was forced, a small bit of hysteria behind it. “Will you kill me when you die so your favorite slave can come with you?”

Not waiting for a response, Mabel let out another laugh, this one light and airy. She had nothing to say to him, not anymore. Twisting away, she left him standing up there, the guards parting to move out of her way as she walked back to her home. Bill didn’t follow her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want to stay updated on this story? Ask questions about this AU? Click [here](http://oilux.tumblr.com/) to stay tuned and get live updates!


	7. The Lies You Tell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay on not updating!

Bill idly ran a hand through her hair, and Mabel leaned into the touches. There was something comforting about the gesture, even if he was the last one she wanted to be near. They sat in another meeting, Mabel with a new scar on her neck and Bill ordering people about. It was just another day, a regular routine that made Mabel lose track of the days. 

“Your highness, considering the state of your temple to Ra now, it would take another week to complete it.” The man speaking gestured outside, where they could barely see pillars of stone rising. Mabel squeezed her eyes shut. As terrible as it was being by Bill’s side, it was worse working under the hot sun. 

“Good. Make them work faster. I want that temple done sooner rather than later.” He tugged at her hair, a signal Mabel had learned meant he wanted her to look at him. It was no longer an issue like it had been when she first came to the palace. “Go to the kitchens and find work there.”

Mabel nodded, bowing to Bill as she rose. Her favorite parts of the meetings were when he would send her away, truly afraid that she could damage him, or overhear something she wasn't meant to. Mabel didn't glance at anyone else there, parting from the room. Bill had told her he didn't care what she did, as long as she gave him the respect he deserved. 

“At least the kitchen gives me work and I don't sit around doing nothing.” Mabel muttered. 

The kitchen staff was nice to her, giving her work that wasn't terrible to do. They didn't speak to her at first, but slowly warmed up when they heard her laughing along with them when they told bad jokes about the guards and complained with them about the pharaoh. The best part was that she got to speak Hebrew, a language she wasn't allowed to speak around Bill. 

“ _ Any work for me _ ?” Mabel asked, ducking into the kitchen. The pharaoh’s meal was being prepared, so she went over to help the cook. She plucked a couple grapes off of the plate, popping them into her mouth. Bill never ate them anyways. 

“ _ Not with that attitude. Go and see if the halls need to be mopped, and quit stealing food!”  _ The cook smacked her hand as she tried to steal more grapes. Mabel laughed, ducking away from another blow as she tended to the food the cook was quick to forget. 

“ _ I'll make this, why don't you relax? _ ” Mabel asked, urging her elder to sit. It wasn't a lot of work, but it was something to keep her busy until she could escape with the food. Bill always sent someone to collect her, or would be nice to meet him in his room. 

“ _ Why are you always so happy? _ ” The cook grumbled, but let Mabel do as she pleased. Mabel herself laughed, finishing up the plate so it looked presentable. Back at home, Stanley and done almost all of the cooking, but Mabel did like to try her hand at it once and awhile. 

_ “Who says I'm happy?”  _ Mabel asked in return. It was in little moments like this that she could say she was happy, and that was the only time she ever saw the kitchen workers. 

_ “You seem happy.”  _ The cook cleared her throat as she glanced around. The guards would punish them severely for speaking Hebrew in the palace, even in the kitchens. 

_ “Appearances can be deceiving.”  _ Mabel put the finishing touches on Bill’s afternoon meal, and picked up the heavy tray. “Thank you.”

The tray was hot under her hands, reminding her vividly of the sand outside the palace. Bill didn't let her out unless he was with her, and even then it never went further than his balcony or the entrance to the palace. She had never liked working in the sun, but she found herself missing it the longer time went on. 

“Slave!”

Mabel jumped, nearly dropping the tray as she struggled to hold it in place. The guards hardly talked to her, only sending her to Bill’s room or out of the way. They despised her more than the other slaves, barely giving her the time of day until they needed something. 

“Isn't the pharaoh still in his meeting? Why did he send you away? He must be getting bored already. It is that time when he gets rid of the old and makes way for the new.” One guard elbowed the other in the gut, a friendly gesture that made his friend wince in pain. 

“Once he's finally done with you, he won't mind us having a taste.” The other guard said. Mabel’s fingers gripped the tray so hard her knuckles turned white. “I wouldn't mind a taste now, actually.”

“I should really-”

Mabel’s sentence was cut off as the taller guard smacked her on the cheek. She didn't drop the tray, but it felt like her breath had left her at the blow. Bill was going to be so mad, he had told her no one else could touch her, and these men had known that. 

“Be quiet. Tell you what, if you tell us what you heard at that meeting, we'll see about pushing this little bit of fun further out.” The taller guard, obviously the leader of the duo, took a step closer to her. Mabel cringed and took a step back, pressing against the wall behind her. 

“Please, he's waiting for me to bring him his food.” Mabel tried. She didn't even pay attention at the meetings, she had no idea what the guards wanted to hear. Mabel pressed the tray further against her stomach. 

“He can wait a couple minutes.” The smaller guard took the tray from her hands. Mabel fought with the urge to clutch it tighter, unwilling to let go of her small barrier. It was taken with little resistance, placed on the floor and out of the way.

“I don’t-”

“Then tell us what he was talking about?” The leader hissed, moving closer to her. Mabel turned her gaze away, staring at the tray of cooling food. 

The way they stared at her, they wouldn’t stop no matter what she said. It was almost cruel, like they gave her a choice when really there was nothing she could do to stop them from getting what they wanted. Not when she was just a slave, and no one cared for the word of a slave.

Hands grabbed her arms, pushing them away from herself and against the hard stone. Mabel struggled, instinct screaming that danger was there and she had to flee before it got any worse. The hands held her in a bruising grip, and Mabel didn’t realize her eyes were closed until they flew open as lips pressed against her neck, the disgusting, heated breath of the guard ghosting across her face.

_ “What’s going on here?” _

Mabel gasped as the guard pressed further against her, hiding from view. It was obvious to see what was going on, but not a lot of people would have interrupted. Mabel didn’t recognize the voice, but she jumped on the chance.

_ “Get the pharaoh, please!” _

Mabel cried out in pain as the guard shoved his arm against her neck. It freed one of her arms, but that was quickly occupied in trying to pry the arm from her neck. Footsteps were heard, and the guard pinning Mabel cursed.

“You little whore, what did you say?” He asked, pressing firmer, causing Mabel to sputter and gasp. She dug her nails into his skin, trying to get him off. 

“Red, maybe we should go.” The smaller guard said. “She’s the pharaoh’s favorite, this isn’t smart.”

“Shut up.” 

He took his arm away, and Mabel gulped for air, her lungs burning as she tried to take in enough oxygen. It wasn’t nearly enough to sate her burning lungs, but it was enough to make the black spots in her vision fade slightly, but they still danced along the edges of her eyes.

“Stupid, stupid, he won’t even notice you’re gone, he was going to get rid of you anyways.” The guard hissed in her face, spittle flying out and landing on her cheek. 

“Was I now? I wish someone had told me.” 

The guard threw her to the floor, and Mabel fell onto the tray, landing in a pile of dishes that cut into her skin and food that was cold. The guard drew his sword, not pointing it at the pharaoh but instead pointing it at Mabel.

“I found her trying to escape, your highness. I was just trying to keep your favorite slave in place.” He poked Mabel with the sword, and Mabel flinched away. 

She knocked it away with her hand, surging up. Bill stumbled back as Mabel launched herself into his arms, engulfing herself in the safety and warmth that came with the pharaoh’s touch. He let out a small grunt of surprise, but then his arms came around her shoulders and kept her close.

“They’re lying, they’re lying and I didn’t know what to do…” Mabel’s voice was hoarse, a croak that struggled to come out. Bill ran a hand through her hair, his fingers catching on a couple knots. 

“Oh, my little sun-kissed slave, take deep breaths.” He made her stand, not forcing away her touch but also not fully reciprocating. Mabel straightened, moving to stand behind Bill as he looked at the guards. The marks on her cheeks and the slight guilty slump of the guards shoulders told the pharaoh what truly happened.

“Go back to my room.” Bill ordered Mabel, finally prying her hands away from him. “Wait there for me.”

Mabel reluctantly nodded. As much as he caused her pain, he was also the one protecting her, and Mabel had never feared being alone more than she did right then. He was the shelter from the storm, and the storm itself. 

She went and picked up the tray of food, leaning it against her hip as she made her way past the men, all standing in tense silence. As soon as she was around the corner, she paused, pressing herself against the wall so she wouldn’t be seen. The edge of the tray dug into her hand, but she did not move. 

“For treason, you both will be executed for your crimes.” Someone, not Bill, she would have recognized his voice. It sounded like one of the men who was an advisor for Bill.

“Treason?”

“She’s just a slave?”

“Oh yes, but she is my slave.” That was Bill. Mabel inched further to the corner of the wall. “And I will not have her harmed.”

The could hear the screams of anger and arguments before they were cut off abruptly, gasps of pain echoing in the hall as Mabel heard a heavy thump. There was an execution, but it wasn’t a public one. Mabel didn’t dare risk a peek around the corner.

“Why must you defend the slave so much?” The same advisor who spoke just moments ago was speaking once more. 

“She’s a unique slave, isn’t she?” Bill mused. “She has been chosen by Ra to be mine, I’m absolutely sure of it. No one else in this kingdom is able to take what I give her.”

A long silence, unbroken as Mabel pressed her hand against her mouth in an attempt to muffle her breathing. There was the sound of movement, metal clinking against metal, and someone coughing awkwardly into their fist.

“Are you sure-and forgive my imprudence on the matter, your highness-are not just smitten with her? Maybe she is just a temptress. It would be good for the two of you to spend time apart.” The advisor spoke once more. Mabel wouldn’t mind a little vacation from Bill, but she couldn’t very well say that.

“No.” The pharaoh’s harsh voice cut off any argument. “Instead, why don’t you go and get another slave for me? I will show how quickly they perish trying to serve a link to the gods that was not chosen by them.”

Mabel bit back several emotions that rose in her throat like bile. Harshly digging her nails into the tray, Mabel turned and hurried down the hall, missing the rest of the conversation. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check me out on [tumblr](oilux.tumblr.com) to find out about updates and important information!


	8. The pain you cause

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did a poll on tumblr about what everyone wanted an update for, and the one with the most votes would be updated! Here y'all go!

The other slave the guards tossed into Bill’s room looked like one of her old friends. She wasn't, simply one of the masses that had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. When she was tossed to the ground she did not rise, and her shaking form pressed further into the marble. 

“Mabel.” Bill said, tearing her eyes away from the slave. “Go somewhere else and make yourself useful.”

Her feet swung off the bed, but like the girl still trembling on the floor, she made no move to rise. Mabel wished her life wasn't filled with such trials, that the pharaoh hadn't chosen her when he picked a slave, that she was still home, with her family. 

“Are you going to do something to her?” Mabel asked instead. “She doesn't deserve any pain.”

“If you aren't going to leave, you can be quiet so I can concentrate.” Bill muttered. “You think you're so high and mighty for a slave.”

“Your highness, why do you take insult to everything I say.” Mabel tilted her head. Bill was looking for an argument. “Why hurt her? She had committed no crime other than catching the attentions of the guards.”

“It has quickly become a choice, hasn't it? You and everyone else, you're all the same.” Bill spat the words like venom. “Everything I do is to put a plan in place, to keep a riot from forming, to prevent something I don't want happening. If I have to sacrifice one little slave to make sure you are safe, then I'll do it.”

Mabel leaned back, staring at Bill in surprise. To save her? It didn't make sense, but a lot of the things Bill said didn't make sense to her. She reached out and tugged him to the bed, where he went without protest. 

“How does hurting someone else save me?” Mabel asked. A whimper reminded her they weren't alone. 

Bill let out a loud, sarcastic laugh. “They think you're making me soft.”

“Oh.” Mabel said softly. Bill looked at her, frustration and dejection in his eyes, the normal blue no longer sparkling. She didn't like Bill was he was sad, she decided. 

Mabel carefully leaned forward, and pressed a kiss to his brow in the same way a mother would with their child. Bill was completely still under her touch, and the painted eye on his forehead was smudged from her lips. She could taste the bitterness of paint when she licked her lips. 

“I like the softer Bill better.” Mabel said softly. “Do what you must, pharaoh, just remember, you have to live with yourself in the aftermath.”

Bill didn't try to keep her as she pulled back, letting her leave the room and to his task. She spent the day in the kitchen, gossipping and asking about her family. 

Later, as she went back to Bill’s room to give him his dinner, the girl who had once been trembling on the floor engulfed her in a hug, and Mabel breathed a sigh of relief. She greeted Bill with a smile and another kiss, and the smile she got in return for that made her heart sing.

* * *

“The temple has been constructed to your exact specifications sire, would you like to see it today?” One of the advisors asked. Mabel liked watching him talk, the skin of his neck bounced with every word. 

“It'll be fun to see the errors and everything that needs correcting.” Bill sighed heavily, but still rose. Despite his words, the pharaoh was obviously eager to see the completed temple. Mabel slowly walked behind him, trying to quietly walk with them to go outside. She couldn't understand how people could spend so much time inside and not feel trapped. 

“Your highness, it's truly not proper for a slave to enter such a sacred temple.” One of the priests put his hand on Mabel’s shoulder before they could even get close to the temple. “I'd advise sending her to do other work while we go about business.”

“If Ra doesn't want her in his temple, then Ra will see to that.” Bill waved a hand, and Mabel was released despite not ever being truly restrained. 

Outside, bile immediately rose in her throat at the sight of so many slaves doing back breaking labor. The Egyptians stood around like it was a holiday, none of them working besides the slave drives who were too quick with their whips. Mabel let her eyes skim over her people, the part of her wishing she was with them falling quieter and quieter.

“Move faster!” One of them shouted, and Mabel wasn’t the only one who turned to look at them. The whip came down with a sickening crack, blood spraying and staining the sand. 

“Oh, that looked like it hurt.” Someone said sarcastically, their lips curling in a sneer. Mabel had to swallow back anger as it rose.

“Faster! What’s wrong with you?” The slave driver screamed, his face red with anger and heat. Mabel instinctively winced at the next cry of pain that came from the poor soul being abused. 

“Please, make him stop.” Mabel let the plea fall off her lips, as much as it burned. Everyone turned to her in surprise. “Please, just make him stop.”

Because those cries of pain were too  _ familiar  _ for her to ignore for much longer, and Mabel was too frightened to raise her gaze and see who was being hurt. Mabel looked at Bill, just as another cry filled the air. It was like her words made everyone stop what they were doing, just to stare at her.

Mabel’s eyes flittered past Bill, over to the sound of the pain because she couldn’t keep her eyes averted for much longer. With his back broken and bleeding, her brother Dipper wasn’t moving, and the slave driver was raising his hand to send another-and more than likely the last-blow across him. 

Mabel didn’t think. Thinking was over. She was already moving when more hands grabbed at her, trying to keep her back from her brother, but their grips were loose, and she was sprinting past them all and throwing herself in the way of the blow.

She didn’t have enough time to turn herself to let her back take the blow. A searing pain crossed her brow and down the side of her face, ending in a flourish around her chin. She collapsed on the sand with her hand over her face, her body just barely covering her brother. 

Her vision swam before her as she tried to cope with pain and the haze of tears. Fumbling through the sand, Mabel looked through her one good eye as she felt for her brother and pulled him close. He was unresponsive, but breathing.

“Well, Ra does as he will.” The priest said, and Mabel was sure she wasn’t meant to hear it, but she did. 

A hand cupped her uninjured cheek, tilting her gaze up to whoever moved her gaze. Everything was blurry through blood and tears, and she couldn’t recognize who was touching her. Mabel’s head was pounding, swimming and trying to make sense of pain and heat and Dipper’s safety.

“That was impulsive, wasn’t it, my sun kissed slave?” Bill’s voice reached her and she whimpered, holding her brother closer to her chest.

“Please, I’ll do anything you want, just don’t hurt him. I can’t live without my brother, I don’t want to.” Mabel felt like the world was trying to make her upset, trying to send her into an abyss. “Please, Bill.”

Her vision was tears and blood, and she fell into darkness.

* * *

"Her eye is gone, and if she doesn’t die then she’ll be scared. It might be better to just send her back to the fields and let her have the rest of her life out there.” Bill sat down on the corner of the bed, watching the healer work on Mabel.

The scar was a moving, living snake across Mabel’s face. It started high on her brow, across her eye and down her cheek to her chin. It was going to make a notable scar, and the healer was right, if Mabel managed to live through healing it would forever mar her face.

“You can leave now.” Bill told the healer, who was obviously done with their work. A small huff, and a formal bow, and the healer was gone and Bill was left alone with Mabel.

“That was so goddamn stupid.” Bill snarled. Mabel wasn’t awake to hear him, but she twitched in her sleep like she heard him. “Your brother's pathetic, I’m going to have him killed.”

There was nothing, not even a twitch or a movement this time. He pressed his lips together, stalking towards the bed and shaking her shoulder. Her head lolled to the side, lax enough to make her look dead. Bill tore his hand away like he had been burned. 

This was ridiculous. She was his slave, she could die and he wouldn’t care at all. Mabel was just one of the masses, and she would die just like every other slave, and he wouldn’t care at all and go on with his day. He would go to his temples and he would do what he wanted, and she would be dead and gone. 

“No one said that you were allowed to die, Mabel.” Bill muttered. “You are not allowed to throw yourself into harm's way.”

He sat down carefully next to her, barely dipping the bed. She hardly moved, and Bill slowly placed his hand over her waist, leaning down to look at her face carefully. Her breathing was soft, shallow.

“Don’t leave me.” Bill whispered, pressing a kiss against her forehead. “Please.”

She moved so unexpectedly that he jerked back, barely able to stay on the bed. Her one good eye opened in a haze and filled with tears immediately, and he couldn’t look away. Her eye was so green, staring at him with something he had seen from so many people but never wanted to see from her.

Fear.

“It hurts.” She whimpered, and her eye slid closed. Bill tentatively reached out to cup her cheek, and she jerked away from his touch. Bill drew back from her, leaving her to sleep.

“I know, Mabel, go to sleep.” Bill said softly. She showed no sign of hearing him. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll keep you safe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, want to read my work before anyone else? Want to sponsor a new chapter of something I haven't written in a while? Check out my [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/oilux)!.


	9. Wake Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to a wonderful anon who sent me a message about a dream they had, this chapter actually now has a legit ending that I am very eager to write! I will update more often now! (Hopefully lol)

She was burning, she was fire, and she understood so much more than she was ever meant to understand. She was floating through time and space, she was nothing but she was everything, she was insignificant, but she was the creator of the universe. She was simply an observer, she was the most important player in the game.

_ “You have just started your journey.” _

Mabel looked around, trying to find the source of the voice, but it came from all around her. It came from inside her, it came from her head. She was floating in light, but her eyes couldn’t focus, as colors and images blurred around her and tried to come into focus. 

“Hello?” She tried, the word coming out in a weak whisper that tore at her throat and tried to escape, to leave her forever. Everything around her stopped, even the colors that moved around in the light. 

_ “This isn’t the lifetime where you are happy.” _

Mabel wanted to tilt her head to the side, but she had no body, nothing to tilt to the side. The color before her was pink, forming into a shape she had never seen before. A lizard? That didn’t seem right, but Mabel had no words.

_ “When the time comes, invoke my name.” _

“I don’t know your name.” How could she know the name of something that didn’t even take shape? What would she do if she needed this voice again? Why was she even hearing this voice? The more she thought, the more she realized, the more she could feel her body around her, no longer floating in a cloud of surrealism.

_ “I wonder, will he atone for his crimes, or commit even more? Do not allow him to shift the blame.” _

Mabel groaned in frustration, hands going to her eyes to press on them, only to flinch back when pain raced through her head. She leaned back, looking at the pink, frilled creature standing in front of her. The breath caught in her throat.

_ “Time to awaken.” _

Mabel shot up with a gasp, her head pounding, pain everywhere, it was hot, so hot, she was on fire, she had to be burning. 

“Mabel, Mabel, lay down.” Cold hands pressed against her shoulders, grounding her and offering her relief from her own burning skin. Her gaze was blurred, barely making out the form pressing her against something soft.

“It’s hot.” She mumbled, barely managing to get that out of her mouth. “It’s hot.”

“I know.” One hand left her shoulder, brushing across her forehead. “You’re burning up, just relax and try to go back to sleep.” 

“I have to…” Mabel tried to talk, but she was so thirsty, she was so tired, and her head hurt. With a bit of a struggle, she brought her hand to her face, feeling the heated skin, a spark of pain going through her just at the merest brush of her fingers. Mabel whimpered at the pain, trying to feel the extent of the damage.

“Mabel, that’s enough.” The person, was it Bill, she couldn’t tell, pulled her hand away from her face. “I know it hurts, I know you’re in pain, but you’re not going to feel any better by touching the wound, you’re safe.”

Mabel whimpered, hands moving and grasping at Bill, anchoring herself to him. He wasn’t warm, but he wasn’t pushing her away, allowing her hands to fist in his clothes and make sure he wouldn’t leave her. 

“His name, his name, I don’t know his name.” Mabel wanted to cry, but it was like her body was so exhausted, she just couldn’t. “I can’t...Bill, I can’t open my eye.”

“Who, Mabel?” Bill asked, shifting closer to her on the bed, and she felt the bed dip as he laid next to her. “Don’t open your eye, just try to sleep. Who do you not know the name of?”

“The...I don’t know, I’m supposed to know.” She moved closer, allowing her good eye to slide shut as Bill kept near her. “I’m so tired.”

“Then go to sleep.” Bill brushed her hair away from her face, and she leaned into his touch. “You’ll know when you wake up.”

Would she though? Mabel had no idea, she only moved closer, trying to fall asleep before the pain because too much for her to ignore. Already, it sparked in the back of her head, forming in a headache. Sleep offered relief.

* * *

When she awoke for the second time, the pain wasn’t any less great, but she wasn’t feeling like she was floating in nothingness. It felt stifling hot, and Mabel shifted on the bed, trying to free herself, but the blankets were a vice around her, keeping her confined.

“You can’t lay still for a couple minutes, can you?” A voice said, an hand meeting her own and preventing her from flailing about. “Are you feeling better?”

“Bill?” Mabel asked, her voice cracking. She felt something pressed against her lips, water, she realized, and drank eagerly. It was pulled away from her too soon, and she blinked hazily up at him.

“If you have too much, you’ll get sick.” Bill said. “The healer was quite clear on what you could and couldn’t do until you healed.”

Mabel let herself fall back against the bed, her hair spilling around her like a halo, exhaustion pulling at her. Hesitantly, she reached a hand up, just barely ghosting across the raised, pain filled line. She took her hand away with a hiss, only to have Bill take her hand in his own. 

“That was recklessly stupid.” Bill said, lacing her fingers with his own. “You scared me half to death.”

“Dipper.” Mabel suddenly sat up, looking at Bill desperately. Her depth perception was off, and she nearly crashed into Bill’s chest. “Where’s Dipper? Is he okay?”

“Mabel, you can’t get up.” Bill never let go of her hand, using his other hand to push on her shoulder and keep her in bed. “You need rest.”

“Is he okay? Can he come here?” Mabel desperately tugged at Bill’s hand. “He’s okay, right?”

“Mabel…” Bill sighed, unable to look her in the eyes. “Mabel, you really need rest.”

“Bill, please, I’ll rest, just tell me he’s okay.” Mabel offered, desperately moving and trying to move and meet his gaze, but he kept looking elsewhere. “Bill,  _ please.” _

“Lay down.” Bill still wouldn’t meet her gaze. Mabel hesitated, but eventually laid down, tears making her eyes burn. “The healer told me to give you this if the pain was too much.”

She pushed it away, not even looking at what he was trying to offer, and barely held back a sob. She had tried so hard, everything in her life was so dedicated to making sure he stayed safe, even being with Bill, and when it came down to it, she hadn’t been there in time. She had hesitated too long, refused to look, and her brother had taken one too many blows, that he never should have taken. 

Bill laid down next to her, and wrapped his arms around her, finally letting go of her hand. Mabel hadn’t realized how hard she was crying until she was pressed against Bill’s chest, the tears from her good eye staining his clothing, and he was trying to calm her down. She couldn’t concentrate, she wasn’t even trying to keep calm, she only wanted her brother back, she wanted Dipper to hold her and comfort her.

“It’s okay, Mabel, it’s okay.” Bill ran his hand through her hair, offering her comfort. “You’re going to be okay.”

She didn’t want to be okay, she wanted her brother back. Mabel clung to Bill, refusing to let him go. He had no plans of letting her go, but she wanted to make sure. She wanted to feel safe.

* * *

It was late, Mabel realized as she blinked her eye open. A part of her wondered how she looked, but it wasn’t a priority. Bill’s arm was securely wrapped around her waist, his soft snores right against her ear, and she could hear the murmur of people still awake outside. 

Mabel eased her way out of bed, feeling suffocated in this room. She felt sticky, weak from healing and trying to not succumb to infection. Bill grunted a little, rolling over in bed, and Mabel slowly made her way out of the room. It was exhausting to walk, and she barely made it down the hallway before she had to lean against the wall as she walked. Mabel breathed heavily, refusing to fall.

Outside was a relief, the moon hanging heavy in the sky. Mabel enjoyed the feeling of the sand between her toes, of the cold breeze against her skin. Every time she wasn’t caught inside, it was a relief, a freedom that she hadn’t realized she was missing out. It was terribly suffocating being trapped inside the walls of the palace.

The nile was the closest, and Mabel walked through sand that clutched at her heels, urging her to stop and rest. Mabel refused, only stumbling to a halt when water washed over her feet, and she collapsed in a heap in the cold water of the river. 

Quickly, hands shaking, she fumbled to scoop up water, washing as much of herself as she could. She was quickly soaked, shaking from the cold, her hair plastered to her forehead. The wound on her face burned, but she kept washing it, splashing cold water that offered a little bit of relief from the pain. 

She didn't realize how hard she was sobbing until hands were on her shoulders, pulling her back into a warm chest, and slightly out of the water and into someone's lap. Bill brushed the hair away from her wound, trying to quell her tears, but they kept coming. 

“It's not your fault, my sun.” He murmured, and Mabel was so distraught she didn't notice the new nickname. “The guard who hurt him so is no longer here, your brother is in a better place, you did your best.”

“H-He wasn't...I didn't…I didn't want this!” Mabel wrapped her arms around Bill, her nails digging into his skin, but he only held her tighter. “Dipper…”

“Hush, my sun, he wouldn't want you to destroy yourself over him.” Bill was right, but Mabel still made a sound of protest. “Take deep breaths.”

She tried, she truly did, but her sobs were too great, and the pain was too much. She cried until there were no more tears, and then she still wanted to cry, with her head pressed against Bill’s shoulder, offering her comfort. At some point she drifted into sleep, still half in the water, but on Bill’s lap, but the safety the embrace offered was more comfort than Bill’s words. 

The pharaoh brought her back to bed, ordering another slave to dress her in dry clothing and wrap her wound. He didn't sleep once she was safe, and in bed with him, not until the morning light appeared on the horizon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out my [tumblr](oilux.tumblr.com) to see what's coming! Also feel free to send in prompts or anything else!
> 
> Also, super important, it's getting to the point where I get so few comments on my work that I'm starting to not see the point in updating. Please, comment below!


	10. The little lies you tell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun writing this chapter.

She had become exceptionally clingy to him, since he told her that her brother died. At times, Mabel absolutely refused to leave his side, curled up beside him in bed as she brushed her fingers over the mark on her face, lost in thought. Mabel leaned on him in a way that she had never needed to before, and Bill absolutely adored it.

“Why don’t you go and visit your uncles?” He suggested, brushing his fingers through her hair. He didn’t really want her to leave, but the suggestion was out there. Mabel cringed a bit, like the very idea hurt her, and curled further into his side.

“They wouldn’t want to see me.” She told him, and Bill didn’t argue. He made a hum of agreement, grasping his hand with her own as she went to touch her wound.

“If that’s what you want, sun.” Bill was happy to have her by his side, placing so much emotion on him that she never would have before.

If he had known this was what could happen from a loss, he would have made something happen earlier. Mabel was so wrapped up in her grief, she seemed to completely forget that there was still other family for her, two uncles who worried too much. Bill didn’t worry about them, he would take care of that problem soon enough.

She experienced grief in such an unusual way, as well. Bill had been too young to properly mourn his family when they died, so watching her go through the process was fascinating. More often than not though, he found himself repeating a simple phrase that reassured Mabel more than anything he could have done.

“It’s not your fault, you did everything you could.”

While her neediness was enjoyable, Bill eventually did have to do something to get away from her for a moment. She hadn’t been sleeping, and it would be better if she didn’t know every detail of what he did in his time. With one simple world to his advisor, a complaint about his lack of sleep-something he never truly had a problem with-and Bill had a small flower that apparently induced sleep when allowed to soak in water. 

Mabel drank the tainted water without complaint, or hardly a questioning look at it. That was another thing that changed, and while he supposed that the fight wasn’t completely gone from her, it had drained quite a bit, and Bill waited for it to return.

“Are you tired? You’ve hardly been sleeping.” Bill asked when he saw the first hints of her yawn. “Sleep, sun, relax next to me.”

She murmured something, he couldn’t make it out, her voice having gained a slur to it that wasn’t there before, and rested her head against his shoulder. Bill moved to accommodate her, listening as her breath evened out and she fell into an even sleep. Bill breathed a sigh of relief to see her so calm.

Tugging the blanket over her, so she wouldn’t wake up from the cold desert night, Bill slipped from his room. Tonight was a night that would change the course of history, he could feel it in his bones as he went down stairs, his most trusted guards at his side. 

“Sire?” One of them asked, but fell silent when Bill raised a hand. Speaking would ruin the calm atmosphere, and he wasn't ready for that. They began walking, to the slave barracks. 

When he had been a child, his mother had taken him there, to see the slaves. It was one of the few memories that he had of her, and even though it was a harsh memory, he cherished it. She had led him by the hand to see pain, devastation, and the pure hate that was sent a child’s way. 

“This is the legacy your father will leave your brother.” She had said, and he tried to hide behind her, to avoid the stares and the blood that so many slaves shed, but she refused to let him. “This is the legacy he will leave you with, if something happens. This is the legacy so many will know you by, is that what you want?”

He had been so young, and his brother had barely been older than him. When they all perished, and he was left alone to hold the throne, Bill knew his legacy was set no matter what he did. He had only ever wanted to live. 

The slave barracks were different at night. Quieter than he expected, everyone asleep in their beds. It took him longer than he liked to admit to find what he was looking for, a certain shack among the rest, barely seen in the dark. Bill knocked loudly on the door. 

“Who's there?” Came a gruff voice, before the door slid open an inch. Bill couldn't see in, but the door was only closed for a moment longer before it swung open. The older man, Bill hardly recognized him, as he hardly cared for Mabel’s family, gaped at him. 

“Are you going to allow me entry or should I stand here while you stare?” Bill crossed his arms over his chest. The man, Stanley, if Bill remembered correctly, stepped back. 

“It's not like you brought any good news the last time you came.” Stan muttered, shutting the door once Bill and the guards came in. “What can we do for you?”

“Actually, this time is more about what I'm going to do for you.” Bill clapped his hands together. “First, I want to see her twin.”

Dipper, the one who had Arcas of the Greeks in his forehead. The boy was meant for many great things, be it in this life or the afterlife, he would leave his mark somewhere. Stan hesitated, but turned and parted the curtain for the only other room in the shack. Bill drank the sight in easily. 

How Dipper had managed to survive so many blows was a mystery, by all accounts he should have died. Yet he slept peacefully, hands curled protectively by his face, and his back exposed to the cool night air. The other uncle, the one named Stanford, was sleeping as well, rather obnoxious snores coming from his lips. 

“She wouldn't have died if she had been with us.” Stanley muttered, more to himself than to Bill, but Bill still heard it. “She was safe with us.”

“Until a guard saw her and decided he wanted her, or until she was injured, or until she died in the fields like so many before her, right, Stanley?” Bill said, bitterness creeping into his voice at the thought of losing Mabel. After this night, he never would. “I didn't come here to talk. Guards, wake them up.”

Dipper groaned in pain as the guards were less than kind, and Stanford woke almost immediately after he was touched. The younger Pines could hardly do much, barely managing to sit up, and that was with the help of his uncle. When all of the Pines men were awake, at least awake enough for Bill, he clapped his hands together. 

“I'm unsure of what you slaves do when another dies, as it seems to happen all of the time, but I wish to do something for her that I know she would have wanted, because she asked me several times for exactly that.” Bill glanced between them, seeing he had every ounce of their attention, and damn if he didn't thrive in it. “She asked me for your freedom, and it is granted. You are no longer slaves, on the simple condition that you leave before the sun rises.”

They stared at him, and Bill’s plastered on smile faded slightly when they didn't immediately reply with thanks. They seemed utterly confused, and Bill really wanted to leave. Let them suffer in the ways of slave work for the rest of their lives, it would bring no harm to him. It wasn't in his plan though, and he couldn't leave them here. 

“That's very generous of you, but we can't travel. Dipper’s hurt and needs rest. We have no supplies, or money.” Stanford was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

“Oh, I'm providing all of that for you.” He gestured to one of the guards, and they produced a large bag of gold coins. “For your travels, until you get somewhere new, and I have horses ready and waiting with supplies for a long journey.”

Stanley took the bag, examining the coins and checking that they were real. Bill was starting to get impatient, tapping his foot and waiting for a reply. The three Pines glanced among each other, before finally seeming to come to some kind of agreement. 

“If we're out of the city before the sun rises, we’re free?” Dipper asked, his voice scratchy in the way that Mabel’s was after she cried. He didn't seem skeptical, just tired. Losing a twin must have been hard. “Why are you doing this for us?”

“It's what Mabel wanted. What she asked for.” Bill said softly, before he clapped his hands together. The men jumped at the loud sound. “Are you going to take my offer?”

More hesitation, but eventual nods. Suspicion rang brightly through the trio, but none of them wanted to tell the pharaoh outright no. Bill grinned, a wide smile with too much teeth, before he finally turned to leave, only allowing one guard to stay. 

Outside, the night was still young, giving the Pines plenty of time to leave before first light. Bill planned to be back in bed by that time, with his sun and catching up on sleep. He turned to his guard, but only after they had traveled a safe distance away from the rest of the Pines. 

“Follow them. If they don't leave before dawn, kill them.” Bill saw the flicker of surprise on the other man’s face, but he smartly said nothing to question Bill. 

Bill turned and walked back alone to the palace. It allowed him time to think, to ponder the what if’s of life and how every puzzle piece was falling into place. Not a topic he often thought about, but as he crawled back into bed with Mabel, and watched her turn in her sleep to press against him, sighing happily. 

He would worship at the altar of her life, and who else better to worship Ra’s incarnate than the pharaoh himself? The others wouldn't understand, so he simply didn't tell them. Even he didn't understand why Ra had chosen such a simple form, a simple life, but that wasn't his place to question it. She was his gift, and never meant to be shared. 

In the morning, when Bill had urged Mabel to breakfast and had left his side, the two guards from the night came to him, and said simple words that eased worries in Bill he hadn't even been aware of. 

“They are no more.”

The pharaoh ate breakfast with his slave. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 20-8-5 12-9-5-19 20-8-5 7-15-12-4-5-14 16-8-1-18-1-15-8 19-1-25-19 1-18-5 15-14-12-25 20-8-5 2-5-7-9-14-14-9-14-7
> 
> Don't forget to comment, and to follow my [tumblr](oilux.tumblr.com) for more updates, and to ask questions you might have!


	11. Life moves on

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only about one or two chapters left! Enjoy.

“Do you think, in the afterlife, Dipper’s there?” Mabel asked, her head pressed against his shoulder. She had been asking a lot of questions like those, always about her brother. Once, she had asked about her uncles, but Bill had quickly reassured her to not think of such things, that her uncles were safe.

“Of course.” Bill reassured. She pressed closer to him, hiding her face. Bill didn't press, remembering the pain of losing his own family. “They would want you to keep living, you know that, don't you, my sun?”

“I know.” Mabel mumbled. “Doesn't make it any less hard.”

It didn't, of course, but it was one of the few things he could say to reassure her. The sadness was starting to get a bit old, and he had no idea the things that might cheer her up. He would be damned if he didn't try though.

“What do you want to do?” Bill asked, tilting her head up. “We can do anything you want, as long as those tears stop.”

She laughed, and pride bloomed in Bill’s chest. He was the one who made her laugh, who made her happy, no one else could say that. Tears still glittered on her lashes, tiny stars, but they were ignored in the way her eyes crinkled in happiness.

“I'm starting to think you can't handle it when I cry.” Mabel sat up, leaving the pharaoh to quietly whine. She laughed, brushing bangs from his face and examining the eye on his forehead. “Why do you have that?”

“To help me connect to the gods.” He captured her hand, pressing a kiss against the palm. “Do you not like it?”

“It fits you.” Mabel admitted. “Strangely enough, that is. Can we go to the market?”

Bill’s brow arched, a playful, but small, smile crossing his lips. “I think you're just trying to get me to spoil you.”

“What? You're going insane.” Mabel teased. Bill couldn't help but smile back, it was the first time in a long time he had seen her smile. “Please? I really want to get out of the palace today.”

He nodded, silently resigning himself to a day of fearful looks and bowing backs. They were a wonderful sight, Bill adored the way people feared him, but he enjoyed the way Mabel looked at him so much more. It would be fun to show her off, the way she looked at him without fear. The way she brightened at his nod, it made any reservations about going out disappear.

“You need to stay close to me, I don't want anything bad to happen to you, my sun.” He surged forward, capturing her lips in a kiss before she could argue that she could take care of herself. “I know, you didn't need me before and I doubt you need me now, but I will still make sure you're not harmed.”

Mabel flushed at the kiss, pulling back when Bill tried to deepen it, not allowing the chaste kiss to turn into something more. Bill didn't mind, stretching out on the bed before rising. Mabel hopped up as well, clapping her hands together in excitement.

“I can't wait, I've never seen the market in the city.” Mabel started to say, and Bill almost asked why, when he remembered he had found her in the fields. She had probably never seen anything outside of the slave barracks and those fields. “It’s going to be so much fun!”

“Mabel.” Bill cut her off, reaching out to cup her cheek to make sure he held her attention. “You are not allowed to leave my side while we are outside the palace. I don’t want to take any unnecessary risks.”

Her eyes dropped, and with gentle coaxing, Bill managed to get her to raise her gaze once more. She offered a smile, but it was weak, nothing compared to the bright smile that she had just shown him barely a minute ago.

“I’m not saying that to be mean.” Bill reassured, swiping his thumb across her bottom lip. “I just worry, and I don’t want to risk losing you.” He hesitated for a moment, considering his next words. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Mabel’s smile was a bit more real, but it didn’t reach his eyes, and she seemed upset. Bill stole another quick kiss, rising from the bed and starting to change into something more presentable for outside travel.

Before he knew it, they were in the market, Mabel half a step behind Bill as they made their way through many of the stalls. Bill never thought he would hate having someone walk behind him until Mabel was walking behind him, and he realized he could barely see her at times, she would always be in the corner of his eye, but not where he could fully keep an eye on her.

“Mabel.” Bill murmured, bringing her a bit closer and wrapping his arm around her waist. Her cheeks colored the most wonderful shade of red, and people gasped, but no one dared to intervene. “Stay close to me.”

“Yes, your highness.” She wouldn’t meet his gaze, but she was near him, and that was all that mattered. Mabel instead turned her gaze to look down at the wares many people had brought to sell. “Are you going to get anything?”

“I thought more so about spoiling you today.” Bill mused, delighting in the way that her cheeks turned even more red, a bright color almost as bright as the setting sun. “You’re just absolutely adorable.”

“Sire, please.” Mabel loved the compliments, that much was obvious from the way that she didn’t actually ask him to stop. She simply seemed unsure of how to react in public to them.

“Won’t you let me spoil you, just for today?” Bill pressed his lips against her brow, ghosting along there as he continued to whisper. “I want to see you dressed in silks and gold, just as beautiful as every queen before you.”

It wasn’t until his lips reached her cheek that she started back, her face contorted in disbelief. Bill didn’t take back his words, a slow smile spreading across his face as realization dawned on her. It was amazing, watching so many emotions play across her face, the biggest one being simply, hope.

“Don’t play with my emotions, your highness.” Mabel eventually murmured, but she still looked delighted. “There’s nothing for you to gain from it.”

“Who in all of Egypt said I was playing?” He asked, leaning forward to give her more kisses, skating his lips against the bridge of her nose. “My sun, my gorgeous, sun kissed girl, don’t you want to be by my side? If only to be with me, won’t you?”

Mabel just stared at him, a small smile on her face, just so happy, all of her troubles and woes finally disappearing into nothing. Bill would give the world to make sure that smile always remained on her face, that she was always as happy as she was right in that moment.

“Don’t make me beg, my sun.” Bill pleaded. “Would you truly have the pharaoh of Egypt on his knees before you?”

“For his queen? Yes.” Mabel teased, pulling away from Bill to examine the wares. “I thought he was going to spoil me rotten.”

He hummed, wrapping his arm around her waist again as they examined the wares. With Bill hanging off Mabel, no one seemed to care that Mabel was a slave, the shopkeepers happily showed off what they had for sale, everything from exotic foods to silks and jewels. Bill bought everything he thought Mabel’s gaze lingered on.

“Are you going to buy the whole market?” Mabel asked, teasing when yet another guard had to come forth just to carry back a bundle of silk for Mabel. Bill laughed, purchasing even more silk in a slightly different shade of yellow that he thought Mabel would look pretty in.

“Maybe. Not like anyone could stop me.” Bill couldn’t keep the smile off his face, his heart had never felt this light, he had never laughed as much as he did right then. It was like a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart, one he had never noticed before.

“That’s true.” Mabel agreed. She was looking at a fine selection of jewelry, gold, he realized, not really staring at anything for long.

She didn’t have to see anything that she enjoyed though. Bill’s eyes caught on a particular piece of gold, with his image of an eye fashioned out of shining gold, a blue gem acting as the iris. It was gorgeous. Bill gestured to it without a thought, handing over the wanted money in exchange.

“It’s not just my symbol anymore, I think.” Bill mused, handing it to Mabel and helping her put it on. “Now, even when I’m not there, you can know I will watch after you.”

The necklace clasped behind her neck, Mabel’s fingers fixing the pendant in place, the blue gem showing to all who would look. Bill’s shoulders drew back in pride, quite proud that even if people never met him, as long as they met Mabel they would remember him. They would know who she loved.

“Thank you.” Mabel stood up on the tips of her toes, trepidation in her eyes but still firm in her movements. Bill bent down a little, allowing her to press a quick peck on her cheek.

Amazingly, the world didn't stop. People stared at them like it had, like the pharaoh had grown two heads, but the pair simply continued to shop, not allowing any disturbances between them. The longer they stayed out, the happier Mabel grew, just from seeing and talking to people around them.

“It's not a bad thing that not everyone fears you.” Mabel said, examine fruit from a stall. The keeper of it was obviously nervous that they were there, glancing between Bill and Mabel like they would kill him at any moment.

“I don't care about people.” Bill said honestly, his eyes locked on Mabel. She snorted, barely catching her laughter. “I just care about one.”

“Oh no, who is this mystery woman you've been hiding from me?” Mabel lamented, pressing her hand against her forehead. “They betrayal! How could you?”

“Oh hush, you're causing a scene.” Bill didn't actually move to make her stop. “Have you shopped enough for today? I have something I want to show you.”

Her head tilted to the side, curiosity glittering in her hazel eyes. Bill smiled, taking her hand and leading her away from the crowds, towards the edge of the city. He could almost feel the excitement she was radiating, but kept his lips sealed.

“Almost there.” Bill said when he glanced at her, seeing her ready to ask where they were going. Mabel fell into a silent pout, but didn't try to ask again.

It wasn't long, before they were walking up marble steps of a temple. It had been finished a couple days ago, exorbitant in every right, as Bill had wasted no expense. The ceiling was high above them, the marble shaved so thin that it allowed the sunlight to come through. It was warm, blessed by Ra, and everything he wanted.

“What do you think?” He asked Mabel, turning to face her. She wasn't looking at him, gazing in wonder at everything around them. “Do you like it?”

“It's gorgeous.” Mabel reassured. “Is this what you've been building?”

“Yes. The temple to Ra, and my tomb.” Bill had constructed it so that underneath, there lied the catacombs that would house his body when he died.

“That's...morbid.” Mabel eventually said, hesitantly. Bill chuckled.

“We spend our whole lives as pharaohs constructing pyramids for our bodies, and temples for our gods. I want this to be my home, when I die.” He didn't say that he wanted it to be hers as well, he knew she knew by the look on her face. “You don't like it.”

“It's nice.” Mabel instantly disagreed. “It's exactly what I expect from you.”

Not her though, but Bill bit back that reply. He bent down, pressing a quick kiss against her head, leading her deeper into the temple, but not into the catacombs below. That was for another day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 20-8-5 20-8-9-14-7 1-2-15-21-20 8-1-16-16-9-14-5-19-19 9-19 20-8-1-20 9-20 14-5-22-5-18 12-1-19-20-19
> 
>  
> 
> Don't forget to leave a comment below, and to follow my [tumblr](oilux.tumblr.com) for exclusive previews and updates!


	12. Happiness does not last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter left after this. Thank you for taking this wild ride with me!

It felt wrong to be happy. It was like an ache in her chest that reminded her constantly that she had just lost someone close to her, that she shouldn’t be happy. It came at the most inconvenient of times, telling her quite easily that it was wrong to be feeling better when her brother wasn’t with her.

It wasn’t the worst thing, she realized, she just hated feeling better, because Dipper wasn’t there with her. Mabel would never hear one of his random facts, she would never get her awkward sibling hugs from anyone else, she would have to grow old without Dipper by her side. 

The scar twisting along her face served as a constant reminder. Mabel didn’t understand how Bill could stand to look at her, it was an awkward, ugly thing that had ruined her eye. Thinking back on it, it came as no shock to herself that she would do the same thing all over again. She would jump in front of a killing blow for even the slimmest of chances that her brother would come back.

“Can I go out today?” Mabel asked Bill, who was busy doing his own work. “Please?”

“Hm?” He glanced at her, but then went back to his work. “Stay safe, come back before the sun sets.”

Mabel beamed, pressing a quick kiss to his lips and hurrying down the hall. It took only a moment to find Bill’s favorite guards, two men who normally wouldn’t give her the time of day. Yet if anyone knew what she wanted to know, it would be them.

“Excuse me.” Mabel said softly to them. They looked at her, but didn’t say anything. “Can you tell me where my brother is?”

They glanced at each other, and Mabel knew it was because she worded it so strangely. She couldn’t bring herself to ask where he was buried though, it was like admitting to herself and everyone else that he was really gone.

“Go down by the Nile, near the slave barracks. You’ll see.” The taller of the two answered, letting his companion stay silent. She nodded her thanks, spinning on her heel and heading outside.

Mabel hesitated on the steps, unable to take the last one. It was like crossing a line she didn’t even know existed, until she was right there and preparing to cross it. Mabel took a deep breath, counted to ten, and stepped away from the palace.

The city was so full of life, it wasn’t fair. She felt like the whole world should be mourning as she was, but they weren’t. They were still acting like nothing happened, and it was shocking that for everyone else, they didn’t feel the same amount of crippling pain she did. The other people, they didn’t care, it wasn’t their brother, their twin that they lost.

She walked in the shore of the water, allowing it to lap at her ankles as she walked along it. The sand was soft, but it didn’t last before she was walking in the shore of the Nile, following along the river to where she needed to go.

The worst thing about all this though, was how  _ angry  _ she was at her brother. He had left her, alone in this world, and even though she knew Dipper would still be with her if he could, it didn’t stop the fact that he was dead, and no longer there.

On her next step, she kicked up water, watching it reflect the light of the sun before it fell back into the water. Kicking water made her feel a little better, so she did it again until her dress was almost soaked, and her breath came to her in pants of exhaustion.

“I’m being stupid.” Mabel realized, but she couldn’t stop. She was drowning in her own grief, unable to come up for air even for a moment. 

Did Bill actually want to rule with her? Was he really going to make her queen? Some ruler Mabel would be, she scoffed to herself before she realized she had stopped walking, and continued on. How far was she expected to walk? It felt like she had been walking for miles. 

“You know, you just left.” Mabel imagined her brother was walking next to her, the memory so clear and vivid that she felt like she could reach out and touch him. “You just left me here, and I’m supposed to move on and accept that you’re gone.”

“You left me first.” Dipper returned. Even the imaginary version of him wouldn’t look Mabel in the eye. “You let the pharaoh take you away.”

“He was going to kill me, what was I supposed to do?” Mabel shook her head, stopping once more. Imaginary Dipper stopped as well, kneeling down to examine the shore. 

“Do you love him?” Dipper turned his gaze to her, and his eyes were blank, empty things that made her flinch back. Her arms pinwheeled, trying to keep her balance, but she landed with a splash into the slightly chilled water of the Nile.

Dipper was gone when she surfaced, tears prickling at her eyes as she coughed slightly to rid her lungs of the water. He had been so real, like she could have reached out and touched him. If it had been Dipper, it had only been a shell of him though, not really her brother.

“Dipper?” Mabel asked the open air, like the apparition would show up magically once more. “That’s not fair, Dipper.”

He wasn’t there though, and she crawled to where he had been kneeling, looking at what he had been looking at. There was nothing there, not that she expected anything, but it was still a disappointment. 

“Really not fair.” Mabel swiped her hand over the sand, disturbing its rest. Mabel turned to watch the water, her legs still resting in the water. It  felt like such a long day and she had barely done anything. 

That was another thing no one warned her about, the constant state of exhaustion.  Before, the back breaking labor she did every day was enough to push her past her limits, but faced with such a terrible loss, even being outside was pushing her limits. 

With a sigh, and more effort than should have been needed, Mabel pushed herself off the shore and started walking again. Every step she took away from the palace, her home, was a step she would have to take again to return. A thought traveled through her head then, so startling that Mabel froze, allowing it to run rampant in her head. 

What would happen if she never returned? Simply left, living the life of freedom her and Dipper always dreamed of. 

Empty desert in front of her, a palace behind her. No matter what Bill promised, she would always be a slave, someone beneath him. Even if he made her queen, in front of all of his people, they would never respect her. Yet in front of her, the life of freedom, wouldn't be as perfect as Dipper and her imagined. She owned nothing of value, she would be able to walk out of Egypt to be a beggar on the streets. 

With defeat on her shoulders, it came as a quiet realization that she didn’t care for any of it. Did it even matter when her brother wasn’t at her side? What was even the point of living anymore?

Mabel shook away those thoughts as quickly as they came. It would do her no good to think about what her brother was going through. She started walking again, gaze locked on her feet, refusing to look up and see where she might be going.

She was so focused on on making sure her steps were sound, that she almost passed right by where her brother was buried. It was unmarked, slightly raised freshly turned dirt. It was all to be expected from the grave of a slave, and Mabel found herself kneeling next to it, hands clasped in front of her to ignore their shaking.

“Hey, Dipper.” Mabel started, her voice cracking slightly. “This is...not what I expected.”

It was extremely...underwhelming. Her brother was buried under the ground, not that far away from her, but it wasn’t her brother, just his body. He was still  _ dead,  _ his soul off in whatever afterlife there was. He wasn’t there with her, and that’s all that mattered, besides a mess of dirt and blood and flesh rotting under the ground.

“I’m really mad at you.” Mabel said honestly. “You just left me, what am I going to do now? What would you do if you were me? I’m not as smart as you, I don’t know what to do anymore.”

She closed her eyes, imagining her back in the Shack, with their uncles laughing, enjoying what small free time they had. It was one of her favorite times, those little moments that she could never replace, never forget.

“Goddamn it.” She had barely been there a minute, and already she was rising, turning from the grave. It wasn't the best time to visit him, she reasoned with herself. Dipper wouldn't want to see her so upset. 

Mabel wished she had anything she actually owned, so she could place it on Dipper’s grave, a small marker that there wasn’t just a nobody buried underneath the ground. It was her brother, Dipper, who had served a life of torture to amount to nothing.

“I love you, Dipper.” Mabel said, forcing the words out before she left. “I won’t ever forget you.”

Going back to the palace was so much more exhausting than walking away from it. The sun was high, and it seemed like no matter how many steps she took, the palace was the same distance away. Mabel continued on, staring at the ground. The longer she stared at the sand, she swore that she could make out individual grains. 

“Stupid sand.” Mabel muttered, shaking her head. Finally allowing herself to glance up, the palace stood before her like it was trying to reach the sky, and Mabel breathed a sigh of relief as she took the first step.

Pain shot through her calf, enough to make her stumble and nearly fall. The pain didn’t abate, pulsing in time with her heartbeat, Mabel frantically pulled at her skirt to see what was happening, what was wrong. There were two small wounds, tiny punctures both each leaking a small drop of blood, like eyes that were weeping.

The cobra hissed at her, hood fanning out and baring his fangs. Seeming satisfied that Mabel wasn’t going to come near it again, the snake slithered away, standing out against the golden sand with it’s black markings, leaving only marks in the sand that would soon be gone. Mabel whimpered, hands going over her wound, only to immediately pull them away when more pain sparked from it.

“Oh no.” Mabel felt her heart speed up, cheeks growing flush. With scrambling haste, she almost clawed her way up the stairs of the palace, stumbling a couple times as her nails dug into stone, giving her purchase.

For once, the fact that everyone ignored her was a blessing. Mabel leaned against marble that felt like ice as she navigated through halls. It was getting harder to walk, the leg where she had been bitten felt like it was on fire, the muscles cramping like they had no idea what to do with themselves.

“Bill.” Mabel called, even though it came out weak. She pushed open the doors to the main meeting room, looking for Bill. Her eyes found his, and she stumbled, without the wall to lean on she wasn’t sure she could make it, her stomach cramping with pain. 

“What happened?” Bill growled, stalking forward and catching her just as she stumbled again. “Did someone hurt you?”

Mabel shook her head, almost vomiting at the wave of dizziness that rolled over her. She gestured to her calf, which was still swelling, her breath coming in rapid pants now. “Snake. Cobra.”

“Shh, let’s get you to bed.” He picked her up, and walked to his room. Others came forward, offering help, but Bill brushed them off, ignoring them. “Send the healer to my room, but otherwise I don’t want to be disturbed.”

“Yes, sire.”

Mabel whimpered as she was placed on the bed, even with soft sheets were too much for her wounded leg. She looked up at Bill, unable to stop the tears from building up in the corner of her eyes. 

“I just want you to take deep breaths, relax.” Bill brushed her hair away from her forehead, unable to look away from her. Seeing her in so much pain was torture, but what could he do? There was nothing he could do.

“It hurts.” Mabel whimpered, trying so hard to reach out and hold his hand, but her own was shaking too hard. 

“I know.” Bill leaned down to press a kiss against her forehead. Mabel was shaking, unable to stop, but she still tried her best. She drew in a shaky breath, struggling with that small action alone.

“I love you.” Mabel breathed out in a rush. It was a long time before she drew in another breath to ask her next question. “Do you love me?”

“I do, my sun.” Bill took her hand, pressing it against his cheek. “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Mabel smiled, a small smile that was all she could muster, before her eyes slid shut. It was like she was underwater, trying to get in air from the water but it wouldn’t allow her. She could barely feel Bill’s hand against her own. 

She was the sun burning brighter than ever, to where he almost wanted to back away from her greatness. It was what he imagined watching a society collapsing would look like, where it was tragic and terrible but one couldn’t look away.

Her shaking slowly started to stop, and her breathing would take a bit longer in between breaths, she would draw in air, exhale, and the time when she would draw in another breath grew longer and longer. Bill would squeeze her hand every time it seemed like she wasn’t going to draw in breath, trying to give her the will to continue.

“Just...wait until the healer gets here, and everything will be okay.” Bill didn’t know if he was repeating that to himself or Mabel, but he couldn’t stop. He was a puppet, being controlled by something else entirely, only able to repeat the same phrase again and again.

“Everything will be okay.” 

Goddamn it, he was the pharaoh of all of Egypt! Yet he was frozen, unable to do anything at all, only watching on the sidelines as the woman he loved died, going on to the afterlife...without him.

When the healer finally appeared, it could have been minutes, or it could have been hours Bill would have never been able to tell, Mabel’s body was still beside him, no longer moving. Her last breath had been drawn and exhaled, and Bill was left alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this chapter, please, please leave a comment below! Your comments are what keep me writing more Mabill work!
> 
> Don't forget to follow my [tumblr](oilux.tumblr.com) for more updates!
> 
> Ghdwk lv rqob wkh ehjlqqlqj iru d skdudrk zkr rqob hyhu zdqwhg wr oryh.


	13. Death is only the beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who commented, who motivated me to continue, who read this work. Thank you. Enjoy the last chapter!

Bill did not allow anyone to touch Mabel as he brought her to the temple, wrapped in a thin sheet. He placed her on an altar before his favorite god, not uncovering her face. She looked so calm, so peaceful, that he couldn't risk disturbing her, even though she was no longer in this world to disturb. 

It was humbling, to be standing there, wanting her to rise more than he wanted his next breath of air. Bill, hesitantly, reached out and placed his hand over Mabel’s covered one, only a thin sheet between them. It truly felt like a chasm that he could never hope to breech. 

It was a simple step. One step that separated Bill from his mother and father, his brother, from the love of his life. A step he wasn't ready to take, but was still calling for him like it did every day. Bill leaned down, pressing his forehead against Mabel’s own, grateful for the sheet. 

Everyone had left, left him alone to rule, to live, to feel his heart beating in his chest. Bill wanted nothing more than to reach into his chest and tear out his own beating heart, but it would do him no good. Mabel would want him to keep on living, wouldn’t she?

He couldn’t say for sure. She would have wanted him to live, she would have wanted him to die. Memories of her smiling face, her tears, all rushed to him at once, assaulting him in a desperate measure to be remembered first. Bill’s eyes squeezed shut, allowing him to truly bask in the memories he had, playing all of them one by one until he came to her death. 

She had hated him at first. Bill understood, he had relished in it. With a heavy, dry sob, Bill fell to his knees, once more grasping at her covered hand. It was cold, and she shouldn’t be cold, it was cold like the sand at night. She was a gift to him from the gods and he had squandered it, letting her perish when he should have made sure she was safe.

“I tried so hard.” Bill muttered. Small plops were heard, and as he blinked his blurry vision Bill realized it was his tears hitting the marble floor of the temple. “I tried so hard to keep you by my side.”

No response, just more drips, as tears leaked out of his eyes like water leaking from a broken vase. They were hot and uncomfortable on his face, leaving streaks that Bill didn’t bother to wipe away, it felt good to cry. 

“Sire.” Someone came up, a voice Bill didn’t recognize. “I understand the pain, but mourning does not fit you well-”

“If you don’t leave at this moment, I will have you executed.” Bill said sharply, his voice cracking. “Don’t let anyone else come in here.”

“Yes, your highness.” There was the brief sound of footsteps, and Bill was engulfed in silence once more. He enjoyed it, for his heart was too loud in his chest, and his breathing too loud in his ears. Bill refused to let go of Mabe’s hand. 

“You weren’t supposed to leave so quickly.” It helped to talk to her, but at the same time it felt wrong. She was still dead, still unresponsive. Bill wanted her to move, he wanted her to rise and embrace him, but she did no such thing. “I’d give anything to have you back.”

_ “Anything?” _

Bill’s head shot up, glancing around furiously for the person who interrupted him. There was no one, not a single person who could have asked that. Bill clutched Mabel’s hand, hard enough that he knew if she was still alive she would have complained that it hurt.

“Who’s there?” Bill stood tall and proud as he asked, even as his lashes still glittered with tears shed only moments ago. “Leave, before I call the guards and have you escorted.”

_ “I simply asked a question.”  _ The voice returned, calm and level like it was inconvenienced with Bill demanding things.  _ “Would you really do anything to have her back?” _

The voice surrounded him, like the hot morning sun just before it turned into a burn. Bill looked over his shoulder, trying to see the source, but no one stepped forward, and there was no one there that Bill could kick out.

“Yes.” Bill finally said, free hand reaching out to stroke the side of Mabe’s face, which was covered by the cloth. “I would.”

_ “Give up your throne, give up your power?” _

“Yes.” Bill said after another pause. “I would.”

_ “Give up everything you had, give up everything that makes you, yourself, the pharaoh of all of Egypt?” _

“Yes. In a heartbeat.”

_ “Would you give up everything that makes you Bill Cipher?” _

Bill paused. He had never felt more powerful than when Mabel was by his side, he never cared less about his throne until she was with him. What made him himself though? He felt like nothing without her. A fish caught on shore, a sheep without its shepherd. 

“Yes.” Bill pulled the sheet back, brushing her hair from her forehead. She looked asleep, ready to wake up at any moment. “I feel like nothing without her.”

_ “Such ancient powers you toy with, young human, for a woman that you just met.”  _ The voice was taunting him, growing closer. Bill harshly tugged the blanket up over Mabel, to prevent prying eyes from looking upon her. 

“I have lost everyone that I have ever loved, what is the point in living if she’s not with me.” Bill pressed his lips together in a thin line. 

_ “It’s bad to live your life for someone else.” _

“Look, I didn’t come here for a lecture.” Bill snapped, physically turning his body as he was done with the conversation. “Leave me to mourn by myself.”

_ “I thought you wanted to see her again?”  _ The voice came a bit closer, but then backed away.  _ “She wasn’t meant to be yours in this life.” _

“Either be quiet or leave me!” Bill wanted to scream, but all that came out of his mouth was a keening sound, filled with pain is misery. It made him want to fall to his knees, to weep with the pain that only came with grief and loss.

_ “I thought you wanted to see her again?”  _ The voice asked.  _ “I can make that happen. Not in this life, you’d have to wait for the next one.” _

“What do you mean?” Bill didn’t look up. The person talking to him wasn’t going to make an appearance, Bill realized that. 

_ “You said you would give up everything to meet her again.”  _ The voice felt so close, Bill could almost feel hot breath ghosting along his back, yet when he twisted to see who was there, there was no one.  _ “I can make it happen. Allow you to see her once more, give you another chance to have what you could have had in this life.” _

“I’m already going to meet her in the afterlife.” Bill muttered. “I’d just have to wait.”

_ “I’m not offering that, I’m offering you a chance to live your life again, to meet her once more and have another chance to live it over again.”  _ The voice moved further away.  _ “Don’t you want that?” _

“I wouldn’t have to wait?” Bill asked after a long moment. The voice paused for a moment. “I would.”

_ “I can give you the chance to have another life.”  _ When Bill closed his eyes, he could see pink, a mess of pink that he couldn’t make heads or tails of.  _ “All I ask is for everything that makes you, you.” _

“How can I give you everything?” Bill squeezed his eyes shut tighter, moving closer to Mabel’s form. 

_ “When the time comes, you’ll know. Ancient powers are mysterious things, your highness. Will you wait for her to come back to you?” _

Bill opened his eyes, taking in the soft, golden light of the sun, the white sheet covering Mabel, and the cold marble beneath his feet. It felt like finality, like the moment before the first drops of rain that start to fall, it felt like purging warmth drowning out his soul.

_ “Do we have a deal?” _

“Yes.”

* * *

Flesh stripped from his bones like fire against his skin, until he was nothing more than a skeleton against darkness. Light was better, in light one could find themselves, but in darkness one was liable to lose themselves. There was no ending, no beginning, just the present sense of self and thoughts. 

Thoughts that were lost along the way, that made no sense in the end. Some thoughts were still prevalent, that came forward randomly in the darkness with no end. He would randomly think about a temple and its construction, about when his next meal would be. Things that really didn’t matter.

His form was taken for him, until he was nothing more than soul and mind and heart, but even his heart eventually shriveled up into nothing. He could no longer remember anything but a few phrases, a few memories that popped up, a few feelings. 

_ “Do we have a deal?” _

_ “I wish you had killed me.” _

_ “I didn’t want this!” _

_ “She wasn’t meant to be yours.” _

_ “I love you.” _

He was someone else, but he was himself. Bill eventually gave up trying to realize who he was, what he wanted, and simply went with the movement. Everything that came together through centuries of planning, all to one single family that had no idea the powers that they were messing with.

They were such pitiful things, running around, and when Bill first laid his eyes on her, he knew something was different. It was as though seeing her made something unlock in his mind, because she was no longer a sun but a bright shooting star, unlike anything that anyone would ever know, but waiting happily for him with no idea.

“Oh, shooting star, it’s been such a long time.” Bill cackled, his voice distorting slightly. There was that old, familiar fear once more. “See your eye’s all healed up.”

She stared at him like he was insane, a bright sweater on, and he knew absolutely that this was her, and nothing would ever take her away from him again. Mabel stared at him like she couldn’t decide on what was wrong, what he was talking about, but she didn’t move away.

“Do I know you?” Mabel’s voice was exactly the same, and he wondered how he could have ever forgotten it. It was a soothing balm across his soul, making him remember his human days.

“Not in this life, you don’t.” Bill stuck out his hand, smiling. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, my sun kissed slave.”

Something sparked in her eyes, a light that hadn’t been there before, and Bill almost laughed in delight. The last life wasn’t the one he was meant to have her in, but this life would be. He would make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm exceptionally proud of how this turned out. It was extremely hard for me to write because of the recent death of my mother, and as such all the grief and loss that's shown in this work is the grief I have experienced myself. Thank you for reading.
> 
> Also, don't forget to follow my [tumblr](oilux.tumblr.com) for more works!


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